After All
by Athena Silverwolf
Summary: Caspian knew the forbidden tales of the Kings and Queens of Old. But when he calls them with Queen Susan's horn, he learns he didn't know all of it. After all, Evelyn vanished into the shadows she was named for. But now the Kings and Queens have returned to Narnia, and Evelyn has returned to step from the shadows. *Sequel to Too Much To Ask For*
1. Prologue

After All

Prologue

"This looks familiar," High King Peter told his siblings.

"As if from a dream," Queen Lucy replied.

"Or a dream of a dream," Queen Susan added.

"The Spare Oom," Queen Lucy murmured, looking around. She ran through the trees, calling, "Come on!"

"Lucy!" High King Peter called.

"Not again," Queen Susan could be heard as they moved through thick pine trees.

"These aren't branches," High King Peter realized a moment later.

"They're coats," Queen Susan gasped, shocked.

Then the four tumbled out onto a hard wood floor and looked around. The door to the room they were suddenly in opened and an old man entered. He looked up and saw them on the floor. "What were you all doing in the wardrobe?" he asked, a knowing smile on his face.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you, Professor," Peter told him.

The Professor tossed the blonde a cricket ball, and said, "Try me."

That was how the Pevensies came to know the Professor's story of Narnia. And that was how the Professor came to know the High Kings and Queens of the land he had seen born.

That was also how Evelyn came to see Aslan again. He gave her a choice. The Princess could return to England as well, and never see Narnia nor the High King again. She could stay in Narnia, bear the High King's child, grow old, and die there. Or she could enter a cycle of age. She would return to fifteen years old, and grow to the same age she was at that moment again. Then she would go back to fifteen and grow older once more. The cycle would continue until the High King returned to Narnia. She could protect the country she loved, but she was told then that she would not be able to save the crown or her unborn baby.

"The cycle. I choose the cycle of age. My people will need the guidance I can give them, and I can protect Narnia from the shadows. Besides, the Kings and Queens will need someone who saw everything happen when they were gone when they return," she told him, though a tear slid from her eye as she rested one hand on her stomach. She would never get to see her beautiful child.

"You will, my gold one. But it is not his time to come into the world," Aslan told her.

"Then I will have a son someday?" she asked. He nodded and she buried her face in his mane. "I choose the cycle, Aslan," she said, straightening. The hard set determination in her eyes made the Great Lion's heart both hurt and proud.

"Then it is so," he breathed on her, and suddenly she was fifteen once more. But she remembered the eighteen years she'd already spent in Narnia.

And that was how Evelyn came to be known as Evelyn the Shadow, Princess of Old and Guardian of the Legend.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Apologize, you git!" the brunette snarled at Peter.

"You bumped me!" Peter snapped, losing his patience. When the brunette swung at his head, Peter ducked, and then came up with a neat uppercut. Then it was an all out five on one.

Peter could hear the other school kids hollering for a fight, and then he felt one of his attackers dragged off him. When he finally caught a glimpse, he saw Edmund struggling with two of the boys. Then he saw Susan's dismayed face in the crowd of spectators, and he felt his own disappointment flash across his face. He was better than this.

Then he was flung towards the edge of the tracks, and a brutal kick was landed to his ribs. He yelled in pain, and then he heard the whistle and the shouts. He was dragged up by his shirt and shaken. "Act your age!" the man snapped at him, throwing him towards the stairs. He straightened his uniform, and stalked towards his scattered things.

By the glares the blonde was getting, the two officers guessed he was the target of the gang of boys gathering their bags. The blonde didn't act like a school boy; instead, he acted like a man. He was noble looking, and the officers had a fleeting feeling as if they should be taking orders from him. Like they wanted to take orders from him. Then they shook it off as he joined two girls on a bench.

Edmund sat down beside him as Lucy rested her hand on his arm. "You're welcome," his younger brother huffed.

"I had it sorted," he snapped bitterly, standing and striding a few paces away. He wanted to pace, but he couldn't in the crowded tunnel.

"What was it this time?" Susan asked.

"He bumped me," he replied, turning to face her.

"So you hit him?" Lucy asked, dismayed.

"After he bumped me, they tried to make me apologize. That's when I hit him," he explained.

"Really, is it that hard to just walk away?" Susan sighed.

"I shouldn't have to. I mean, don't you ever get tired of being treated like a kid?" he asked them.

"Um, we are kids," Edmund reminded him.

"Well, I wasn't always," he said stubbornly. Then he seemed to deflate. "It's been a year. How long does he expect us to wait?" he asked, directing his question to Lucy as he sat. None of them answered, and he felt Lucy' gentle hand on his arm.

"I think it's time to accept that we live here. It's no use pretending any different," Susan stated, crossing her arms.

'You would think that. Even when I wanted to believe Lucy about Narnia, you didn't. You're so preoccupied with trying to be normal here. Is it your way of being Queen here? By living life with the high crowd?' he thought at Susan, knowing he'd never say those words to her in front of Lucy and Edmund.

"Oh, no," Susan hissed quietly. "Quick, pretend you're talking to me," she ordered, turning to them. When he looked up, he saw that she had a desperate gleam in her eyes.

"Um, we are talking to you," Edmund retorted. She huffed, and then Lucy sprang up from the bench.

"Ow!" she yelped, surprised.

"Quiet, Lu," Susan scolded softly, looking around.

"Something pinched me!" his youngest sister cried.

Then, on the back of his uniform, he felt a tug. "Hey stop pulling!" he accused Edmund, jumping up and turning to him.

"I'm not touching you!" Edmund protested, his eyes flaring.

"Would all of you, what is that?" Susan and Edmund shoved away from the bench as if stung, and Susan turned to Lucy.

"It feels like magic," Lucy realized, and he agreed instantly.

"Quick, everyone hold hands," Susan suggested, taking Lucy's hand in one of hers.

He took her other hand, and turned to take Edmund's hand. "I'm not holding your hand!" his brother snapped.

"Just," he started, grabbing Edmund's fingers.

Then something happened. The train came in, and with it came a furious wind. But the wind only pulled everything into the tunnel the train was about to go into. Paper blew around them, and he saw Lucy's hat go flying. Tiles began to rip from the walls of the tunnel, and he noticed that no one else was noticing this. That's when he knew it was magic.

Beyond the train, he saw a flash of crystalline blue, and he narrowed his eyes, trying to see it again. He got a glimpse of a beach, and then it was gone. He saw faster and faster glimpses until the train went screeching passed, its whistle crying out. Then they were blinded by a white light, and when it died, they were looking out of a cave to a white sanded beach and crystal clear blue waters.

Walking out onto the beach, the girls turned to each other. They grinned, and Lucy's took on a challenging look. They laughed, and darted forward, pulling off various parts of their uniform as they went. He looked at Edmund, and offered his own challenge with a smirk. He pushed at his brother's chest, and only succeeded in unbalancing himself in the shifting sand. "Bet you're not as quick as me, Ed!" he called, charging across the sand. He ripped off his blazer and sweater vest, shucking off his shoes and socks as he did. His tie he dropped into the sand as Lucy yelled, "Last one in is a rotten egg!"

"Watch out!" Edmund warned him, laughing.

"Here I come!" he called to Susan, who was already in the waves.

"Wait a minute!" Lucy cried running back through the shallows and dropping her tie in the sand. She came running back into the water and promptly fell right in with a yelp.

"Lucy!" Susan cried, laughing.

They splashed each other for several minutes until he noticed that Edmund was focused on the cliff tops. "What is it?" he asked, moving closer.

"Where do you suppose we are?" the younger boy asked.

"Well, where do you think?" he asked laughing.

"Well, I don't remember any ruins in Narnia," the dark haired boy defended himself. All of them turned to look up at the cliff tops, and Peter scanned them for movement. The ruins appeared to be of an expansive structure containing probably hundreds of buildings.

After they'd found their way to the cliff tops, they wandered through an overgrown apple orchard. The trees were huge, and appeared extremely old. And the ruins among them seemed even older, as if the trees had grown up around the original buildings. Lucy munched an apple as they wandered, and he found himself climbing a set of crumbling stairs.

Suddenly he thought of the golden haired girl he hadn't seen in over a year. He touched the finger on his left hand that had born the golden band, and longing shot through him. He needed to see her, to reassure her that he was here, that he hadn't abandoned her. He wondered if she could sense his need, if she would find her way to him. He remembered the time she'd been forced to remain at the Cair when he'd gone off to the Lone Islands with Lucy, and she'd felt his need during a particularly distressing visit. If she was in Narnia, she'd feel it.

"Who do you think lived here?" he heard Lucy ask as he climbed down the stairs.

"I think we did," he heard Susan reply, and his heart sank in his chest. This couldn't be the Cair. What had happened?

"Hey, that's mine," Edmund said as they joined the girls. Susan held a knight piece of a solid gold chess set. "It's part of my chess set," he added, taking it.

"Which chess set?" Peter asked, thinking fondly of how many chess sets his brother had collected.

"I didn't exactly have a solid gold chess set in Finchley, did I?" Edmund replied scornfully.

"It can't be," Lucy murmured, staring at something with a shocked look on her face. Then she darted around them and ran towards one of the more solid ruins. He followed, ready to offer comfort. She took his hand and pulled him up the cracked steps of a dais. "Don't you see?" she asked, looking up at him.

"What?" he asked her, hoping he was wrong.

"Look," she ordered, positioning him in front of the crumbled base of possibly a chair. Four ruined chairs.

'Four thrones. No,' he thought as his sister added, "Imagine walls."

"And columns there," she continued, positioning Susan to his left. Edmund stood on his right. Lucy pointed to two rows of knee height columns as she spoke. "And a glass roof," she finished, taking her place at the far left side.

"Cair Paravel," he finally gave in and admitted. It came out full of wonder and amazement, as though he really stood in the Cair, not her ruins. He suddenly wanted to despair. The Cair had been so glorious, and now she was ruins forgotten in an apple orchard. Had all of Narnia changed this much?

"Catapults," Edmund told him, looking up from where he was kneeling before a piece of the ruins.

"What?" he asked, looking over his brother's shoulder.

"This didn't just happen. Cair Paravel was attacked," Edmund told him, his eyes showing the same despair Peter was beginning to feel.

'Wait a minute. If this is the Throne Room, then the door to the treasure room would be here,' he thought, letting his memory guide him. And when Edmund joined him to push on the section of the wall, it grated aside to reveal a rotting wooden door. He tore the key lock from the door and then pushed it open. It fell off rotted hinges, and he sighed. It was pitch black down there. So he set about making a torch by ripping at his shirt and picking up a dead apple branch.

"You wouldn't happen to have any matches, would you?" he asked Edmund.

"No," Edmund replied, searching his bag, "but would this help?" he asked, pulling out his new torch.

"You might've mentioned that a bit sooner," he laughed in good natured exasperation. The girls just smiled as Edmund smirked and flicked the torch on. He followed the girls into the chamber as Edmund used his torch to light the steps.

Lucy stopped on the steps to look out over the chamber, and he moved along beside her, glancing back in fond concern. He had expected her to cry. But she still hadn't when they reached the wrought iron gate; and Peter came forward to swung it open from its fallen position.

"I can't believe it. It's all still here," he remarked in astonishment as his siblings ran to their chests. Each chest stood before a marble statue that had been done on each King or Queen's twenty fifth birthday.

"I was so tall," Lucy remembered, holding a gold and green dress up to her body.

"You were older then," Susan reminded her, a hint of sadness touching her voice.

"Opposed to hundreds of years later, when you're younger," Edmund joked, turning to them in one of his helms. It was comically large on his fourteen year old head. But Peter wasn't paying any attention to that. Instead he was focused on the huge disc he held. He blew on it and revealed The Lion's face underneath the dust.

"What is it?" Lucy asked Susan. His youngest sister held her dagger and cordial on her belt.

"My horn. I must have left it on my saddle the day we went back," she replied, holding her how and quiver. Edmund had his sword out of the chest, as well as his shield.

The he put the disc down and moved slowly to his chest, gazing at his statue the whole time. He kind of bowed as he lifted the trunk open, and then he forgot all about the chest. He grasped the sword and pulled it free of the clothes. Then he drew the beautiful weapon.

Gazing at the runes carved into the blade, he said, "When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death." The words of the prophecy swirled around his head, and he remembered the third part. He remembered her part.

"When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again," Lucy finished, sounding close to tears. "Everyone we knew. Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers. They're all gone," she explained, and she licked her salt dried lips.

"I think it's time we learned what's going on here," he told her, and he searched his chest until he found clothes that would fit.

He only looked at the fifth chest hidden in the shadows to one side after he'd changed into Narnian clothing. He gazed at the statue of her, and his heart ached. It was clear that hundreds of years had passed. There was no way she was still alive. He opened the chest, and leaned his hands on either side. He bowed his head, and closed his eyes.

Then he opened them and studied the contents of the chest. Shirts and pants met his eyes, but when he dug deeper, he found tunics and leggings, jerkins and vests, skirts and dresses, and even cloaks and shoes. He found her disliked shield, her armor, even her long sword. But he didn't find her bow and quiver or her dagger. He thought maybe he should take her sword, then decided against it. It had stayed for a reason. And it was hers. He could never use it.

With a pained sigh, he closed the trunk and took the satchel Edmund offered. Inside he found his armor and even his leather practice armor. And he found his signet ring. "Did you find hers?" he asked his brother quietly. When the dark head shook no, he straightened and set his mind on finding out what had happened to his palace. What had happened to his people. To his kingdom. To his guardian.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Evelyn woke to the sound of the horn. It was a sound long absent but she knew it instantly. 'Queen Susan's horn' she nearly cried, and then she was leaping to her feet.

"You heard it?" Glenstorm asked.

"Of course. That was my Queen's horn," she replied, dressing as fast as she could. She pulled on a dark green shirt, her brown leather vest, brown pants, and dark gray boots. Then she drew her long gold hair back into a tight braid. It was easy to slide her quiver on and buckle the attached dagger belt around her waist.

Glenstorm's wife, Rica, stopped her to shove a sausage sandwich in her hands. Then the whole family was scrambling to gather their weapons and anything they wanted to bring with them. "Ev, come on!" the youngest son yelled when she ran back into her little room to grab a cloak.

"I'm coming, Nightstorm!" she yelled back, and then she was vaulting up onto her mare's back. The dark bay horse was a dumb beast stolen from the Telmarines, and Evelyn had to admit that she didn't usually like to work with beasts.

They rode for an hour until they reached the clearing hidden deep in the woods. The other Animals were gathering with the creatures in what they'd begun to call the Night Hall. They spent all night and the next day in the clearing, waiting for the carrier of the horn to join them. Evelyn kept herself removed from the discussions, instead she began to organize patrols and scouts.

It was Reepicheep's patrol of mice that came back successfully. Glenstorm went out after the patrol and came back with a Telmarine, Trufflehunter, and Nikabrik the second night they were in the Night Hall.

She sat high in the branches of the great tree as her people shouted obscenities at the Prince. "All this horn proves is that they've stolen yet another thing from us!" Nikabrik yelled.

"We didn't steal anything," Caspian protested.

"Liar!" she cried, finding that this Prince tested her patience with his beliefs.

"Didn't steal anything? Show me lists of things the Telmarines have taken from us!" a Minotaur shouted.

"Our homes!" Rica called out.

"Our land!" someone in the back yelled.

"Our freedom!" a faun added.

"What about our villages?" someone demanded.

"Our crown!" she called from her place in the tree.

"Our lives!" a Minotaur roared.

"You would hold me accountable for all the crimes of my people?" Caspian asked, appalled.

"A King is responsible for his people," she called, knowing he couldn't see her in the branches.

"Accountable, and punishable," Nikabrik replied, stepping down from the rock he was standing on.

"Ha! That is rich, coming from you, Dwarf!" she heard Reepicheep cry, drawing his sword. "Or have you forgotten that it was your people that fought alongside the White Witch?" the Mouse asked.

"And I'd gladly do it again, if it would rid us of these barbarians," the Dwarf snarled.

"That is not here, and it is not in your power to bring her back. Or are you suggesting we ask this boy to go against Aslan?" Trufflehunter the Badger spoke up.

"No!" Evelyn cried, horrified.

"No one believes in Aslan!" a faun yelled.

"I do," she whispered.

"No!" the Good Giant declared.

"Some of you may have forgotten, but we Badgers remember well, that Narnia was only right when a Son of Adam was King," Trufflehunter reminded the assembly.

"He's a Telmarine, why would we want him as our King?" Nikabrik demanded.

'Here's your chance, boy. Prove yourself,' she thought, holding her breath.

"Because I can help you," Caspian told them.

"It's a trick," someone yelled.

"At least hear him out," one of her Wolves suggested.

"Beyond these woods, I am a Prince. The Telmarine throne is rightfully mine. Help me claim it, and I can bring peace between us," Caspian explained.

'Well said, boy,' she thought, grudgingly.

"It is true. The time I right. I watch the skies, for it is mine to watch, as it is yours to remember, Badger. Ava, the Lord of Victory, and Alambell, the Lady of Peace, have come together in the high heavens. And now, here, a Son of Adam had come forth, and offered us back our freedom," Glenstorm announced.

"Is this possible? Do you really think there could be peace? Do you? I mean, I mean, really?" the Squirrel asked.

"Two days ago, I didn't believe in the existence of Talking Animals, or Dwarves, or Centaurs. And here you are. In strength and numbers that we Telmarines could never have imagined. Whether this horn is magic or not, it brought us together. And together, we have a chance to take back what is ours," Caspian said.

"If you will lead us, then my sons and I offer you our swords," Glenstorm pledged, drawing his broadsword. All around, the Animals lifted their heads, and the creatures raised their weapons in pledge.

"And we offer you our lives, unreservedly," Reepicheep swore, bowing.

"Miraz's army will not be far behind us, Sire," Trufflehunter warned.

"If we are to ready for them, we need to hurry to find soldiers and weapons," Caspian announced. "I am sure they will be here soon," he added, lowering his voice.

The assembly had mostly dispersed when she dropped into the grass in front of Caspian. He drew his sword, startled, and she straightened. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Put that away, boy, before I disarm you. You have earned my peoples' trust, but you have much to learn of us. That horn you carry. It is magic. It was a gift to Queen Susan. Do not lose it. I can go north, to the gryphons, and bring back soldiers and weapons both," she told him.

"How do you know this horn?" he asked, sheathing his blade as a slightly arrogant look crossed his face.

"When I feel like it, I will tell you my name, and then you will know. Do not make the mistake of thinking I am following your lead. I was a leader before Caspian the Conqueror was born. Now, do you want me to go north?" she replied.

"Yes. Take a guard, maiden, these woods are not kind," he warned.

"Ha! You are foolish, boy. I know these woods. I was here before they were seedlings. I do not need a guard. And do not make the mistake of thinking I am helpless because I am a girl. You seem to know the tales. It would do you well to remember Queen Lucy, the Warrior Queen, and Princess Evelyn, the Guardian. It is your uncle who would do well to fear the woods. I will join you when I return. Try not to get any of my people killed while I am gone," she responded, climbing to the top of the ridge.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"My name is Evelyn. Once, I was the Princess of the Northern Narnia territory. Now, I am the Princess of Old. And yes, I am a Daughter of Eve," she replied. Then she turned and disappeared.

Caspian blinked, and thought, 'The Kings and Queens of Old vanished thirteen hundred years ago. The Princess has been here the whole time!' Then he remembered a female voice shouting that the Telmarines had stolen the Narnian crown. 'It must have been her. Technically, she was the Crown when my people invaded.'

"Do not dwell too much on Evelyn, Sire. She has seen much, and she knows a great deal. She was the High King's wife until he vanished, and she was Princess when Narnia was invaded," Trufflehunter explained.

"She is the Princess of Old? The one the legends call the Guardian?" he asked, following the Badger into the forest.

"The same," the Badger replied.

"She should hate me," he realized.

"She probably hated your ancestor, the Conqueror. She is too wise to hate you, ten generations later. But keep in mind, she will not take easily to the idea of you leading. You must earn her trust. Or she will kill you herself," he warned.

Caspian swallowed and nodded, glancing back over his shoulder for the girl. But she had vanished into the shadows the legends named her for.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

They were walking along the sandy shore of the river when Peter spotted the boat. They watched as the two soldiers in it lifted a Red Dwarf and prepared to throw him into the water. Susan moved before any of them could stop her, and they were glad. None of them wanted to be the ones harming one of Susan's beloved Red Dwarves. She fired an arrow into the side of the boat, and the two soldiers turned to look. Peter and Edmund drew their swords, and waited beside her, daring the soldiers to disobey.

"Drop him!" she commanded, taking aim for a second shot. They threw him into the river, and one scrambled for a bow as the Kings sheathed their swords and ran towards the river. Peter unfastened his belt as he ran, and dropped it into the sand. Then he dove into the river and swam down the sinking Dwarf.

When he broke the surface and dragged the Dwarf back onto the shore, Lucy dropped to her knees and used her dagger to cut the ties on his wrists. Instantly, the Dwarf rolled over and ripped the gag down off his mouth, coughing up water as he did. "Drop him? That's the best you can come up with?" the Dwarf growled.

"A simple thank you would suffice," Susan told him, affronted.

"They were doing just fine drowning me without your help!" the Dwarf snarled, pointing at the river.

"Maybe we should have let them," Peter snapped, narrowing his eyes at the Dwarf.

"Why were they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy asked, trying to change the subject.

"They're Telmarines. That's what they do," the Dwarf sighed bitterly.

"Telmarines? In Narnia?" Edmund asked, shocked.

"Where have you been for the last few hundred years?" the Dwarf asked.

"It's a bit of a long story," Lucy replied, and Susan passed Peter his sword.

Peter looked at the Dwarf's appalled look and narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. You're it? You're the Kings and Queens of Old?" the Dwarf asked.

Peter stepped forward, offering his hand. The instant he did, he remembered that Kings didn't shake hands, they bowed. "High King Peter, the Magnificent," he said, continuing on without pause.

"You probably could have left off the last bit," Susan told him, seeing the Dwarf's expression.

"Probably," the Dwarf chuckled.

"You might be surprised," the High King said, drawing his sword.

The Dwarf regarded the drawn sword with narrowed eyes. "Oh, you don't want to do that, boy," he cautioned. He was one of the best swordsmen in the Red Dwarf clan.

"Not me. Him," the High King said, looking to his brother. Edmund drew his own sword as Peter offered his to the Dwarf.

The Dwarf took it after a minute, and his arm dropped with the weight of it. The sword sliced into the sand, and Edmund looked to his elder brother, raising one eyebrow. Then the dwarf raised the blade in a diagonal cut, spinning as he did to slash at Edmund's chest.

Peter leaped back as Edmund ducked, and the Dwarf elbowed him in the bridge of the nose. "Edmund!" Lucy cried.

"Oh, you alright?" the Dwarf asked tauntingly, and slashed in a downwards arc at Edmund's shoulder. Edmund side stepped and came around behind the Dwarf's exposed back, whacking the Dwarf in the rear with the flat of his blade. Lucy laughed, and the Dwarf threw her a scalding look. "Ah," the Dwarf groaned, and then he slashed at Edmund's blade.

Instantly the boy brought his blade up and let the Dwarf's slide right off. Then Edmund struck the Dwarf's blade and pushed it up. Then he struck again and again, the Dwarf's arms moving in a wide circle as his blade was forced around. Finally, Peter's sword went spinning out of the Dwarf's hands and Peter winced when it landed in the sand. Edmund held his sword over his head aimed down at the Dwarf, and the Dwarf fell to one knee. "Beards and bedsteads, maybe that horn worked after all," he gasped.

"What horn?" Susan asked, looking at the Dwarf sharply.

"I assume it to be your horn," the Dwarf replied.

"What's your name?" Lucy asked as Peter retrieved his sword and replaced it on his hip.

"Trumpkin, Your Majesty," he replied.

"Come then, Trumpkin. Where are we to go now?" Susan asked.

"The Narnians will gather at the How," the Dwarf said.

"The How? Where's that?" Edmund asked.

"You know of the Stone Table, yes?" he asked. When they nodded, he said, "The How is there."

"Would you take us?" Lucy asked.

"I don't think I have much a choice," Trumpkin replied. On a word, they loaded into the boat and shoved off from the shore.

Peter rowed for a while as Lucy looked up at the trees. She'd noticed a lack of the dryads, and she knew Peter was noticing a lack of Animals. "They're so still," she said, wishing she could see them dance.

"They're trees. What do you expect?" the Dwarf replied.

"They used to dance," she retorted, looking at him.

"It wasn't long after you lot left that the Telmarines invaded. Those who survived retreated to the woods. And the trees, they retreated so deep inside themselves that they haven't been heard from since," Trumpkin told her grimly.

"I don't understand. How could Aslan have let this happen?" Lucy said.

"Aslan? Thought he abandoned us when you lot did," Trumpkin replied, looking at her sharply, suddenly thinking that perhaps they hadn't left on their own choice. Instantly, they all looked sad and guilty.

"We didn't mean to leave you know," Peter told him, something akin to pain in his voice.

"Makes no difference now, does it?" Trumpkin asked.

"Get us to the Narnians, and it will," Peter promised, and his sorrow and guilt turned to hard set determination. He would return Narnia to her glory, and he would avenge his guardian as she had done for him so many times.

A little while later, they drew up on a beach after Trumpkin told them they couldn't go any farther on the water. They didn't ask why, and they dragged the boat up onto the sand as Lucy wandered away.

"Hello there," they heard her say. They all looked up to see her approaching what they thought was a Bear. Peter felt a flash of pain as he remembered his Patrol of centaurs and Bears. "It's alright, we're friends," she assured the Bear as he reared up on his hind legs.

"Don't move, Your Majesty," Trumpkin warned, shocked and instantly a little bit afraid. Lucy turned to him, confused, and the bear charged. She turned and saw it closing in on her, and she whirled and ran towards Peter, tripping over her long skirt.

"Stay away from her!" Susan ordered, drawing her arrow back to her cheek. She didn't expect the Bear to continue on in his charge, and she didn't want to kill one of her own subjects.

"Shoot, Susan, shoot!" Edmund yelled as Lucy fell and rolled over to see the bear rear up over her. The boys were too far away to be of much use with just their swords, thought they were racing as fast as they could towards their baby sister. The younger girl screamed, and then there was a twang and a thump, and the bear fell, an arrow embedded in its heart. Lucy rolled over to see that Susan still had her arrow knocked, and when the elder girl realized she was aiming at her sister, she let down, turning to look behind her.

"Why wouldn't he stop?" the Gentle Queen asked, feeling a little afraid and a lit bit hurt that Lucy had almost died because the bear hadn't listened. But she was mostly shocked.

"I suspect he was hungry," Trumpkin told her flatly, with no pity or even sympathy in his voice. The boys ran forward, leaving Susan a bit shell shocked behind them. Peter skidded on the pebbles as he lifted Lucy by the arm, keeping his sword aimed at the bear in case it wasn't really dead. He'd learned the hard way never to trust that an enemy had just died unless he watched them die at his own hand. Lucy braced her other hand on his sword arm as she stood and he pulled her back out of the danger zone. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she braced a hand on his ribs. She would need the comfort of an elder brother after something like that. And he couldn't blame her.

Trumpkin moved forward to poke the bear with his bow, and Lucy said, "Thanks." The Dwarf turned to look at her quickly before turning back to the bear.

"He was wild," Edmund realized.

"I don't think he could talk at all," Peter told him, rubbing Lucy's shoulder as she rested her forehead against his shoulder.

"Get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that's what you become," Trumpkin told them, drawing his dagger. "You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember," he added, slicing into the bear's carcass.

Lucy drew a sharp breath and turned in the protective circle of Peter's arm to cry into his chest and hide her eyes.

Later, when they were walking through the rocks, Susan finally admitted, "I don't remember this way." Something like that was hard for the Gentle Queen to admit; she remembered everything she ever saw or read or heard. She remembered everything.

"That's the problem with girls," Peter teased, making her admission light. "Can't carry a map in your heads," he added smugly, looking over his shoulder.

"That's because our heads have something in them," Lucy retorted, making Edmund smirk behind them.

"I wish he'd just listened to the DLF in the first place," Susan told Lucy as Edmund jumped up to walk along an overgrown rock.

"DLF?" Edmund repeated.

"Dear Little Friend," Lucy replied, making Susan grin.

"Oh, that's not at all patronizing, is it?" Trumpkin sighed, looking up at Edmund, who had a poorly concealed smirk on his face.

"I'm not lost," Peter tried to convince himself when he reached the dead end.

"No, you're just going wrong way," Trumpkin told him, stepping down from the flat rock.

Peter turned back to the Dwarf, and Trumpkin saw the steely stubbornness in the High King's eyes and the set of his jaw. "You last saw Caspian at the Shuddering Woods. And the quickest way there is to cross at the River Rush," he reminded the Dwarf, refusing to admit that he was wrong. Susan looked slightly resigned, but it was Lucy's confused concern that made him cringe inwardly. He'd never been like this when he was High King. Then again, he'd always had her to knock some sense into him when he got too full of himself.

"But unless I'm mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts," Trumpkin replied, and Peter could tell he was losing patience.

Susan looked like she wanted to smack some logic into him and make him listen to the Dwarf, but he just couldn't. He knew Narnia. He knew where to go. "That explains it then; you're mistaken," he clenched his teeth as he said it, and inwardly, he knew she would have smacked his head against a rock by now for being such an ass to the Dwarf.

When they'd left the rocks and travelled through the forest, Trumpkin walked along the back, his whole demeanor just screaming, "You'll see, arrogant boy, you'll see that I told you so." And Peter knew the Dwarf was right when he slowed as he approached a gap in the trees. He came to a cautious stop and swallowed. They were standing at the top of a sheer gorge that they couldn't survive if they fell down. The River Rush ran along the bottom in a blue snake that frothed and tumbled over the rocks.

"See, over time water erodes the earth and soil, carving deeper and," Susan started to explain.

"Oh, shut up," he sighed, giving in.

"Is there a way down?" Edmund asked, looking down at the Dwarf beside him.

"Yeah, falling," Trumpkin told him.

"But we weren't lost," Peter tried to defend himself. Lucy had to give him that; he'd known where he was going, he just hadn't known what was there.

"There's a fjord near Beruna. How do you feel about swimming?" the Dwarf said, turning away from the gorge.

"I'd rather that than walking," Susan told him, moving away from the edge.

But Lucy looked out over to the other side. "Aslan?" she suddenly said. "It's Aslan!" She cried, delighted. Peter turned instantly as she turned back to get Susan's attention. He looked desperately, but he could only see trees. He wanted to believe her so badly, but he couldn't see The Lion anywhere. She pointed across the gorge and turned back, saying, "He's right…there…" she trailed off, seeing an empty rock where she'd seen The Lion.

"Do you see him now?" Trumpkin asked, and to both Peter and Lucy, he sounded cynical and incredulous.

"I'm not crazy," Lucy snapped. "He was there. He wanted us to follow him," she told Peter, praying he'd believe her.

"I'm sure there are any number of lions in this wood," he told her gently, wishing he could believe her. "Just let that bear," he cautioned.

"I think I know Aslan when I see him," she retorted, brushing off his caution.

"Look, I'm not about to jump off a cliff after someone who doesn't exist," Trumpkin told her, thinking that maybe the youngest Queen was a little bit too tired.

"The last time I didn't believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid," Edmund reminded them, and Peter couldn't help but purse his lips at the memory.

He'd been so furious with Edmund that day. 'You've already made yourself look stupid,' his logical, Susan half of his brain cautioned him.

'So? Lucy knew Aslan. She was the closest to him. She would know him,' his fantastical, Lucy half of his brain argued as he looked over the gorge. "Why wouldn't I have seen him?" he asked her, knowing she'd have an answer that would hurt.

"Maybe you weren't looking," she told him, and it stung. He'd been so caught up in proving himself to the Dwarf that he'd forgotten the one thing Aslan had told him to always do; look.

"I'm sorry, Lu," he told her, and he walked after Susan and Trumpkin. How had he forgotten to look? That had been his task, as High King.

Lucy wanted to cry when Peter walked away from her, so she turned back to the gorge, and gazed at the rock she'd seen Aslan on. She knew she'd seen him there. She knew. And when she turned back to Edmund, she saw in his eyes that he believed her. So she went, if unwillingly, when he tilted his head after Peter and Susan.

When they heard the thumping and clanging, they crept up to the edge of the woods, where a pile of logs provided cover for them to duck behind. They watched for a moment, and Peter decided that the men working were not Narnian. There was no way. They could only be Telmarines.

The neigh of a horse alerted them to approaching solders, and they flattened themselves out of sight. Peter noticed the momentary panic on Lucy's face, and he saw Edmund's eyes close briefly.

"Perhaps this wasn't the best way to come after all," Susan whispered. Trumpkin drew an arrow from his quiver and laid it on his bow beside Peter.

They watched the men chopping, splitting, and lugging logs and planks and felled trees. When they realized the men were building a bridge, Peter hissed under his breath and then moved quietly into the trees once more. Lucy checked to make sure none of the soldiers were watching, then followed Susan and Trumpkin, Edmund behind her.

They returned to the gorge, no one saying a word. 'So my way is the way we have to come after all,' Peter thought, though he kept the told you so inside.

'Maybe they'll believe me now, when we have to cross the gorge and follow Aslan,' Lucy hoped, though she doubted Trumpkin would believe in Aslan.

"So, where exactly do you think you saw Aslan?" Peter asked as Lucy stood looking out at the rock where she'd pointed. He knew it was a bad choice in words the instant they left his mouth and he cursed inwardly.

She turned, and saw the still skeptical look on Peter's face. "I wish you'd all stop trying to sound like grownups," she snapped. "I don't think I saw him, I did see him," she added, sounding hurt and insistent. She moved to the far side of the edge, scanning the far side.

'_If you insist, Your Majesty,' _floated through his mind, and he had to stop himself from replying out loud as Edmund regarded their youngest sister.

"I am a grownup," Trumpkin reminded Lucy, sounding offended, and he didn't see Edmund's smirk.

"It was right over," she said, and then she screamed as the ground beneath her gave way.

"Lucy!" Susan screamed, and they surged forward.

Trumpkin, Edmund, and Peter looked down on her from where she'd fallen as Susan looked over the edge. "Here," Lucy finished shakily, looking up at them from where she sat in the dirt.

Trumpkin climbed down carefully, and he and Lucy started to work their way down the cliff side. Susan followed in their footsteps, Edmund behind her. Peter brought up the rear, often stopping to watch Lucy carefully. He winced when Lucy stepped on a rock and it shifted under her weight. He was glad when Trumpkin caught her wrist and her hand, and he felt a little better about Lucy being in the front.

When they reached the top of the gorge on the other side, he swept his baby sister into his arms, and he breathed in the scent of her hair for a minute. "Don't scare me like that," he ordered fondly," and he was rewarded with small arms around his waist as she hugged him back.

They walked for a little while more, and then they made camp in the bare remains of daylight. He laid down between Edmund and Trumpkin, using his shield and hands as a pillow. He'd done the same many times, though he'd never actually been able to sleep without her there next to him. Even if she was just brushing his arm with her shoulder; having her absent was making everything different.

He dreamed of her that night. He dreamt of when they'd first met, when he'd touched the bump on her temple and she'd shied away from him like a frightened Horse. He'd learned later, after they were engaged, that it had resulted from being struck by her mother when she'd done something wrong. He'd learned that she'd had four elder brothers who were more protective of her than their father was. And he dreamed of guiding her, like she'd guided him, but instead of in Narnia, they were in England.

He woke, her gold eyes re-imprinted into his mind's eye, to the snapping of a branch .He heard Lucy hiss at Susan to wake up, and he heard Susan's garbled, still asleep mumble. He watched Lucy leave the camp, and he pushed himself up, strapping on his sword as he went. He followed her as she moved through a grove of yellow birches, and he watched as she stopped to rest her hand on one trunk. He heard her say, "Wake up," and then she was walking on. He saw the Minotaur before she did, and he lunged after her. "Aslan?" she said, curious joy in her voice. He clamped his hand over her mouth and pulled her down behind the bush, letting her see his face.

Holding one finger to his lips, he crept forward, and drew his sword, advancing on the unsuspecting Minotaur as he did. "Hu, ah!" came a cry, and then he was reeling back as a boy with shoulder length dark hair attacked from the side. The boy was a good swordsman, but he was clearly inexperienced. Then Peter made the mistake of swinging horizontally at the boy' neck with a tree right there. The boy ducked, and Peter's sword embedded itself in the tree. The boy kicked him away, and Peter grabbed for a rock as the Minotaur came charging back. The boy was trying to pull his sword free, and Peter intended to whack him over the head.

"No! Stop!" Lucy cried desperately. Both of them turned to her, and he gave her a reproachful glare. She could have still gotten away if she'd stayed hidden. The boy pulled his sword free of the tree as suddenly they were surrounded by Narnians, all bearing packs and baskets of weapons. He found himself face to face with his own sword, and he remembered that the only other person to do that to him had been her.

"Prince Caspian?" he guessed, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

"Yes, and who are you?" Caspian replied.

"Peter!" Susan called, running up beside Lucy with her bow and quiver in hand. Edmund and Trumpkin were behind her, both with drawn swords. The three looked around as Caspian looked down at the sword in his hand.

He saw the lion's head, and realized, "High King Peter."

"I believe you called," the High King replied.

"Well, yes, but I thought you'd be older," Caspian admitted.

"Well, if you like, we can come back in a few years," Peter offered sarcastically.

"No. No, that's alright. You're just, you're not exactly what I expected," Caspian told the High King, looking first to the young Lucy, then to the pale Edmund, then to the beautiful Susan. His eyes stayed on Susan for a moment, and she smiled slightly, keeping her eyes down.

"Neither are you," Edmund told him, looking at those surrounding them.

"A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes," the Badger said wisely, and Trumpkin relaxed his grip on his sword, sighing.

"We have anxiously awaited your return, my Liege," a Mouse with a plume on his head spoke up, coming forward. "Our hearts and swords are at your service," he added, bowing.

"Oh my gosh, he is so cute," Lucy hissed at Susan, though she never noticed Susan's stare was fixated in Caspian until she looked to the Mouse.

"Who said that?" the Mouse demanded, drawing his sword with a whirl.

"Sorry," Lucy said a little shamefaced.

"Oh, Your Majesty, with the greatest respect," he said, bowing to her, "I do believe courageous, courteous, or chilvarious might more befit a knight of Narnia." He sheathed his blade with a flourish as he spoke.

"Well, at least we know some of you can handle a blade," Peter said, drawing the Mouse's attention once more.

"Yes indeed, and I have recently put it to good use securing weapons for your army, Sire," the Mouse replied, sending a pang of jealousy through Caspian.

Glenstorm and Caspian exchanged glances, and Caspian understood that the loyalty of these creatures and Animals lay with the Kings and Queens first, not him.

"Good, because we're going to need every sword we can get," the High King told the Prince.

"Well, then you will probably be wanting yours back," the Prince replied, spinning the High King's blade so he could take it from his hand. The High King took it and sheathed it in such a noble manor that even the simple action seemed regal to the Prince. Then they headed into the woods, a line forming behind the High King and the Prince.

They discussed happenings so far, as well as strength and numbers of both armies, and Peter wished she were there. She used to know exactly how to get to the information they needed, and she used to turn anything into a battle plan.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Evelyn rode for two days, avoiding the Telmarines as only she could. She exactly how to get to the north, and she used the deep forest and the rivers to her advantage. She was part of the reason the Telmarines feared the woods, and she had used whispers and shadows to build a barricade of fear for her people to retreat behind.

It was easy for her to reach Cair Paravel by traveling up the coast. She avoided the gorge, and the Telmarine fortress was farther south. When she arrived at the ruins of her home, she left the mare in what used to be the courtyard and then she ran through the orchard and the skeleton of the beautiful palace, an apple in hand.

She went straight to the treasure room door, and moved it aside with a groan. Then she found the wooden door gone. Looking around, she saw the rotted lock lying in the grass. She braced herself, and plunged into the darkness, her feet finding their own way down.

She saw the bare footprints in the dust and dirt, and saw that there were four different sized feet. The biggest went first to a pedestal holding a decorative rendition of Aslan's head. The face had been cleared of dust, and by the perfect circled cleared, she guessed someone had blown on the disc. She followed the same track to the High King's chest, and she saw the handprints in the dust on the chest where someone had opened and closed the chest. When she opened it, she found her High King's sword and shield gone, as well as an outfit and both sets of armor missing.

Then she followed these footprints to her chest, the one hidden in the shadows the way she'd placed it. Her chest had been opened, and her sword and armor had been pulled to the top. With a sigh, she pulled the sword free, and she saw the belt it was attached to. The dagger place on her original belt was empty, and she pulled her dagger free of the belt she wore now. Sliding the sheath into the familiar belt, she strapped it on in place of the one she wore now.

It didn't take her long to realize that it had been four people, likely all teenagers, who'd come into the chamber. And she only knew one set of four siblings that had ever come to Narnia. "Welcome home, my Kings and Queens," she said into the chamber. "I will find you, I promise," she added, and she went back to her still open chest.

She'd relied heavily on the clothes she'd put in the chest, especially once the Telmarines had invaded. For centuries before the Telmarines had come, she'd tried to keep the kingdom from falling to attacks from the Calormens and smaller Telmarine forces. She'd ruled from Cair Paravel, and she'd stashed clothes away in her chest for every age.

What the Telmarines had never suspected, and now they didn't even know of it, was that the stone castle in the North had become the Narnian sanctuary. Evelyn had retreated there and stored weapons a plenty in her armory. It was there that the gryphons resided. And it was there that she was headed.

Now, with a heavy heart, she took her armor from her chest, packed it into a satchel, and slung it so the pack rested over her dagger. Then she took the fake panel from the underside of the chest's lid and revealed the niche underneath. A gold chain with four rings on it met her eyes. Two were matching wedding bands, one was a bridal ring, and the last was a signet ring with a shield and lion on it. She clasped the chain around her neck, then reached into the open side of the little cubby. She pulled her tiara, both of the Queens' crowns, and both of the Kings' crowns free.

She'd scrounged the woods for years before she'd found all four of their crowns, and she was determined to reunite them with their wearers. Now that she had the opportunity, she wanted so badly to give Narnia back a piece of their history. But then she put the crowns back. She would bring her Kings and Queens back to the Cair when it was safe. Then she replaced the panel, closed her trunk, and fled the chamber. She pushed the wall back over the doorway, then ran to her mare, who was grazing in the ruins of the Throne Room. Vaulting onto the bare bay back, she snagged a few apples from the trees they cantered passed.

It would be those apples that she ate for the next two days as she rode with increasing urgency to the North. It was far faster for a single girl to move from Cair Paravel to Castle Goldlight than it was for an army. She and the High King had finally agreed on the name for the Northern Castle after several nights without speaking to each other. She had wanted to name it Castle Gold, after him, and he'd wanted Castle Light, after her. Then they'd finally settled on a compromise, and it had resulted in Goldlight.

It was at Castle Goldlight that Evelyn gathered the rest of the Wolves, her faithful Tiger guard named Domino, a few of the Elk, and the gryphons. The gryphons agreed instantly to carry as many weapons as they could in special baskets, and the Elk too volunteered for the baskets.

The Wolves were going to carry sacks of arrows on their backs, and was Domino. Each individual left Castle Goldlight the instant Evelyn declared them packed. She herself took a pack holding short swords and daggers on her back, and then they were riding as hard as they could for the rest of the day.

Evelyn knew that by now, the Narnians had gathered in the How, and she knew Caspian was probably deep in thought over the paintings and engravings on the walls. No room or tunnel in the How was unmarked, and she'd spent an entire cycle of eighteen years on them. She guessed the Prince would understand only parts of the story of the reign of the Kings and Queens, and she knew he wouldn't look closely enough. She also knew that if the Kings and Queens really had returned, they would go to the Narnians.

'If Caspian thinks this is going to be enough for an army, he hasn't a clue how easily things can go wrong,' she thought, looking up from her mare's back at the gryphons flying above her. 'I'll have to send them back with a Dwarf to gather the rest. But maybe we can cause a little trouble when we get closer to Miraz. He knew better than to confront me when he was a teenager. Let's see if he knows the same thing now that his plan to take the throne is working,' she added to herself.

"Evelyn? Should we camp for the night?" one of the Wolves asked.

"We need to go as long into the night as we can," she replied, taking a risky look up at the gryphons through the branches of the pines. They'd been moving for hours, and they'd hopefully reach the How this same time in two days. It would take a whole extra day to get to the How from the Night Hall if they stopped for the night.

They went on until the moon set. Then they were forced to stop and settle in a rough, fireless camp for the remainder of the night.

Evelyn rose early the next morning, not bothering to go back to sleep when she woke. Then she waited for the others to rise by making a quick breakfast out of apples and provisions she'd taken from Castle Goldlight. She split the meal among the Animals and creatures, and then they were underway again.

The second day brought them close to discovery twice. The first time, one of the Wolves picked up the scent of the soldiers and they were able to steer around them.

The second time, the gryphons were nearly spotted before Evelyn risked firing an arrow into a tree over the head of the soldier. When he spun around, they were gone, and he was shocked to discover that the arrow was Telmarine made.

They made good time that day, and were well passed the Night Hall when they finally stopped for the night. Evelyn unburdened the Animals and the gryphons, and then they organized a shift of guards. Evelyn knew far better than to let her guard down around the Telmarine areas.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They walked through the woods for a while, following a worn path through the trees. Peter and Caspian both fell into a mutual silence, neither willing to share their thoughts with the other.

'He's not at all what I expected. High King Peter was thirty four when he left Narnia. At least that's what Professor said. He can't be older than seventeen. But he's definitely the High King. He just assumed control. I might only be a lowly Prince compared to him, but he could have asked before he took the lead. But you called him remember? You need him to lead these people, because you know you can't understand them right now. And he did say we, so he's not going to throw you back to Miraz. Just try to work together with him, and learn something. He's clearly trying to put you on the throne, not take it for himself,' Caspian argued with himself.

'I can't decide if I expected him to be older or younger, but he'd not what I expected at all. Did he even mean for us to come when he blew the horn, or was he hoping for someone else? Who else would come? Who else could come? Is he jealous? Of course he is! You saw the look on his face when Reepicheep spoke to you. He wasn't expecting the people who pledged themselves to him to just come to you. But he must know that their first loyalty lies with a Narnian King, not a Telmarine Prince. And he must know we aren't here to take the throne back. We can't stay, even if we want to. We'll end up leaving again. We have to put a Narnian King on the throne. Now you just have to make him Narnian. But can you trust him? How do you know you can trust him to stay Narnian? She became Narnian, why can't he? They were both taught to believe against Narnia, and she became the Princess of the Northern Territory. But she was always supposed to be Narnian. Maybe he is too,' Peter told himself.

Then they glanced at each other, and a moment of understanding passed between the two of them. That understanding would neither stop Caspian from being jealous of the High King's ability, nor stop Peter from being distrusting of the Prince's backround. But it would stop Caspian from being suspicious of Peter's motives and stop Peter from being opinionated of Caspian's actions. Then they emerged at the edge of the woods, and Edmund and Susan came forward on either side. Then Lucy came running forward, and Peter offered her a small smile. They took in the massive stone and dirt structure for a moment, and then they started across the wide field.

They moved through the field until they reached the ruins of a strange square arena. On the other side of the ruins, they came to a stop. Centaurs were lining up along the walls of the walkway, and they drew their swords on a silent signal. The swords were raised and leveled out above the walkway like a tunnel, and then the Kings and Queens started forward. Peter couldn't help but feel slightly smug; he knew Caspian hadn't received this kind of welcome. He could see Caspian out of the corner of his eye, and the Prince looked both awed and resigned.

"It may not be what you are used to, but it is defensible," Caspian told the two Kings. Peter was satisfied and curious to see the forges in the tunnels that ran through the inside of the structure.

Lucy and Susan had gone to the other side of the main cavern, and Susan came back into the gloom a moment later. "Peter, you may want to see this," she called. Her purple dress blended in with the grayish brown rock, and when he looked to her, he missed her for a second.

He nodded and walked over, Caspian and Edmund following. She gestured at the walls of the tunnel Lucy stood in, and he took a torch to them. He saw first a drawing of Lucy and Susan on Aslan's back. Then he saw their coronation, and he realized how accurate their outfits were in the drawings.

"It's us," Susan voiced the thought in all their heads.

'Who did this? Who knew our story so well that they could do this? What is this place?' Peter thought, looking at the coronation picture again.

"What is this place?" Lucy asked, turning to Caspian.

"You don't know," Caspian realized, studying each of their faces. He saw sadness, confusion, and memory, so he took a torch from the wall. Then he led them down the corridor into the heart of the How. Peter followed, the girls between him and Edmund. He led them out of the corridor and the sound of their footsteps began to echo, like they were in a larger cavern. Caspian moved to the side, lowering his torch to waist height. He laid it quickly in a trough, and fire spread through the trough.

They watched in amazement as carvings of Animals and creatures and Aslan's army were made visible by the flames, and then the huge carving of Aslan himself was revealed. When the cavern was fully lit, he stared in shock and awe at the main feature of the room. The Stone Table, the edges of crack and the runes worn away by the elements, stood in the center of the room, and he realized the structure had been built up around it.

Lucy moved forward, slowly, and laid one hand on the Table. Then she turned to Susan and said, "He must know what he's doing." Susan looked back up at the carving of Aslan, and she looked wistful to the younger girl.

"I think it's up to us now," Peter told her, and he gazed both with joy and sorrow at the Great Lion. He knew that love was both joy and sorrow, and he knew that while he was angry with Aslan for calling him from Narnia, he loved Him and always would.

He also knew that someone had taken the time to leave their story for all of Narnia to see. Had she done it? Had she spent the rest of her life searching for them and remembering? Had she found anything?

He remembered her, that last day, her golden eyes burning with joy. She'd wanted to tell him something when he returned from his hunt, but he'd been too curious to let her wait. He'd persuaded her to tell him, and he felt his eyes water as he remembered the uncontainable joy he'd felt when she'd finally confessed. _"I'm pregnant,"_ she'd told him. He'd cried out in joy and swung her around in his arms, completely oblivious to the looks he was getting from everyone else. She'd laughed as he'd swung her around, her arms around his neck.

"_We're having a baby,"_ he'd finally said, after succeeding in making both of them dizzy. Then he'd turned and announced it to everyone, including his brother and sisters. The Cair had instantly gone into a joyous uproar, and they'd been swarmed with hugs.

'I never got to see my child. Did they rule after her? Did she pass the crown on? Did Narnia ever have another King or Queen or did my child stay a Prince or Princess? My child…I was going to be a father…and then they never had a father,' he thought, and he looked to the left of Aslan's carving.

Three frames stood to the left of Aslan's image. His was closest to Aslan's and he moved to stand in front of it. He felt his heart constrict in pain as he gazed at his frame, and he couldn't help but remember. A Leopard, an Eagle, a Bear, and a unicorn featured in the picture, and he knew exactly who each of them was. Tahki was the Leopard, the unicorn his faithful mount, Whiteheart. The Eagle was the chief from his line of messengers, and the Bear was the second in command from his Patrol. The Northern Marshes had been engraved into the backround, and Peter remembered the beauty of the gray land.

Then he moved in front of the next frame to the left. It was her's, and featured another four of their people. Spirit, her Tiger guard, stood alongside an Elk, a gryphon, and a Hawk. The Elk was Snowwatcher, who'd become the chief of her Far Seekers in the Territory. The gryphon was Zephyr, who'd been the same gryphon to serve him in the Battle at Beruna. He'd gotten through the battle after being turned to stone by the White Witch. He'd also taken the position of second in command for her Seekers. The Hawk was the same from the group that had been ambushed by Nixis's troops. In the back of the picture, he could see the cliffs of the Territory.

He looked away, and then looked back when the thought popped into his head. He scanned the picture and nearly laughed out loud. He couldn't stop the laughter, and his siblings and Caspian came over to investigate. His siblings burst out laughing, but Caspian looked at them strangely. "Come here, Caspian," Lucy beckoned to him, holding out her hand as she laughed. He took her hand hesitantly and she pulled him up. "Look there," she suggested, holding her other hand out to Zephyr. He looked carefully, and then he smiled. A tiny Kitten sat between the gryphon's paws and he realized that the Kitten was the source of their laughter.

"The Kitten was the Princess's companion. Her name was Moon," Lucy explained.

"And she was that big in her prime," Edmund added, grinning fondly.

"Caspian, do you know what these frames stand for?" Susan asked quietly.

"You. They stand for you and the directions you were crowned to," the Prince replied, turning to her. "High King Peter is the North. King Edmund is the West. Queen Lucy is the East. And you, Queen Susan are the South," he added.

"Do you know any of their names?" Peter asked the Prince, and Caspian nodded.

"A couple. I know this one, the centaur, was called Orieus," the dark haired teen admitted. They all moved to the direct right of Aslan's frame, where a centaur warrior, a Cheetah, a Dryad, and a Mouse stood looking out at them. The backround of the picture was a hill top. It was clear the centaur was Orieus, and Peter nodded to Caspian.

"And this one, I know his name was Tumnus," he went on; moving to stand in front of what could only be Lucy's frame. The Eastern people were represented by Tumnus the Faun, Glimmer the Lioness, Roes the Dove, and Lace the Horse. They could see the ocean behind the engravings. It truly was the scene of the East.

"I'm afraid I do not know any here," Caspian sighed, standing before Susan's frame. Her Southern people were depicted by a Red Dwarf named Reek, a Fox named Drisk, an Ocelot named Nafisa, and a Swan named Diamond. The Southern Plains were visible behind them, and Susan saw the place clear in her mind.

They went back to the opposite side to look at Edmund's frame last. Caspian didn't know names there, so they told him. The Western people were shown by a Wolf named Darkin, a Satyr named Shren, a Jaguar named Wacia and a Falcon named Thunder. The Great Woods, mostly conifers, could be seen behind the images in the front.

"Yes, Caspian, they are us. But never forget that the Princess was to the Far North territory. See her people and know who it is that fight now to put you on the throne," Peter suggested, and Caspian noticed that he would not say her name.

Peter was grateful to however had learned so much about them that they were able to put the images. He knew it must have taken a long time to create such work, and he wondered if it had been done in her lifetime. She would have organized it and contributed so much detail to it.

Seeing the friends they'd lost brought back bittersweet memories of a time long gone. It also brought back memories of a love long lost.


	7. Chapter 6

Evelyn lay curled on her side, head resting on her arm, in camp that night. The rest of the group was spread out around her, but two were always awake on guard.

She was dreaming. She knew she was, because the Dryads were there. She hadn't seen a Dryad since the invasion. Her heart longed for her lost friends, even the ones she'd lost simply to time.

Looking back now, she knew she'd made a hard choice, but she'd made the right one. Looking back, she thought she'd been right to spend the time searching not only for her Kings and Queens but also for their crowns. Looking back, she knew she'd accepted losing her son, but thirteen hundred years was a long time to spend waiting.

Thirteen hundred years was a long time spent telling tales and spreading legends to keep the Kings and Queens alive to their people and enemies alike. Thirteen hundred years was a long time spent losing generation after generation of friends as time passed. Thirteen hundred years was a long time spent watching both her land and her people change. Thirteen hundred years was a long time spent etching images into stone.

But none of that mattered as she wove between the dancing Trees and followed the voice calling to her. None of it mattered because there He was; the Great Lion, the one who she'd done it all for. And He rumbled with His laugh as she buried her face in His mane and wrapped her arms around His neck. She felt the heavy, warm paw around her back and then she was curling into the front of the golden shoulder as they laid in the grass. His Great and heavy head rested on her legs.

"Aslan," she murmured in greeting.

"Hello my gold one. You've done well all this time," He replied. "I am proud of you," he added.

"Then why did you stay away for so long?" she asked.

"I had to. I had to wait until the true King of Narnia was ready to take the throne. But the first nine Caspians were not of Narnia," He told her.

"They were truly Telmarine. So you had to wait for a King to be born of Telmarine blood but with a Narnian heart?" she said.

"Yes, my gold one. I also had to wait for the Kings and Queens to be a bit older in their own world," He added.

"How much time passed for them?" she asked.

"Only a single year," He told her sadly.

"A single year?" she couldn't keep the pain from her voice as she thought of how long she had been without the High King. He'd only been kept away for a year; she'd been missing him for thirteen hundred years.

"I know it is unfair, my gold one. But the two worlds are not as interconnected as some might think," He told her. She nodded, and He said, "I want to give you something, my gold one.

"You do not have to give me anything, Aslan. You gave me everything I ever needed," she replied, completely honest.

"And that is why I am giving it to you. The Kings and Queens all received a gift the day I crowned them. You did not. Taking your memory all those years ago was to save you. Giving you the High King's sixth sense was needed to keep him alive. And the cycle; the cycle was to save Narnia. You see, they were all done out of selfish love. I did not want to lose you, nor Peter, nor Narnia. But now I can give you a gift. I can give you back your tiny light, should you wish," He told her.

"Moon? She's gone, Aslan. Even you cannot bring back the dead," she replied, confused.

"No, my gold one. She has been asleep, waiting for me to wake her," He said, lifting His head. She met the dark gold eyes, and she nodded. "You will need her warmth and light," He told her sadly.

"Aslan, did I do something wrong? I could not save my people," she asked.

"No, gold one, you did exactly what you were supposed to do. It is not your fault that you were overwhelmed and forced back. It was never your fault that they stopped believing either. I can give you the hope you have lost if you should ask," He assured her.

"No, Aslan. Moon would be the hope," she said, and then the tiny Cat was there, climbing to her shoulder and jumping onto Aslan's head. "Moon!" she yelped, aghast.

"It's alright, gold one. Welcome back, small one," He said.

"Hello, Great One," Moon purred.

"Aslan, are they back? Is it really them?" Evelyn asked.

He got to His paws, and He shook His mane. Moon fell into Evelyn's lap, and climbed up to her shoulder. "You know the answer to that in your heart, gold one," He told her, and then He was gone. And Evelyn woke up.

With Moon lying on her chest. "Moon!" she gasped quietly, pulling the Kitten into a tight hug. The Kitten woke up with a yelp and then started purring like crazy. It didn't take long for the rest of the company to wake, and then they all saw the difference in their Princess. Beneath the tan of her skin, she had been pale, and coldness seemed to be her constant companion. With the arrival of the tiny Kitten, a gold flush returned to her skin, and she was finally warm to the touch.

They got an early start that day, and Evelyn couldn't help but be happier than she'd been in a long time. It was easier to remember what warmth felt like now that Moon was back. And it was easier to be warm with Moon there. The others in the company were surprised to see a healthy color return underneath Evelyn's skin. Her skin, tanned gold, had always seemed transparent to the Narnians, like there was only a pale white color beneath it. She'd been that way as long as they could remember, and they noticed that on the longest night of the year, and the three full moons of winter, she either stayed hidden away by a fire, or she had no color what so ever. Dark bags stayed under her eyes, and were often the only warning for when there was something wrong. She lost sleep constantly, and on the coldest days, she could be found to not eat or sleep at all.

The older Narnians knew that the time cycle was not kind to Evelyn. At the very end, about two weeks before she would revert to fifteen, she had grown sadder and paler than normal. And up to her eighteenth birthday, she had to be kept constant company by someone. Memories haunted her more frequently in that span of time and many of the Narnians feared for her life.

But they needn't worry that she would take her own life. She knew how much they needed her, and how she had made the choice exactly for that reason. She knew she had to live with the choice, that ending it would never be fair. And she had known in her heart when she made the choice that she would have to relive the darkest days of her Narnian life in her mind. Those memories were ghosts physically. The Narnians saw the results of the memories, but never the ghosts themselves.

She didn't talk about her life before Narnia. It was a kind of mystery to the Narnians. They knew she was a Daughter of Eve from the other world, but none of them knew anything more. She didn't speak of anything more. She'd locked away what memory she did have of before Narnia behind stone walls and iron bars, and she'd forgotten where the key was. None of them knew of her four protective older brothers, her soldier father, or her abusive mother.

She couldn't let them know that one of the reasons the White Witch had seemed so kind to her in those few cold years was that she didn't know a mother's love. She knew a mother's hate, and when the Queen had shown her kindness, she couldn't resist. And it had nearly killed her in the end. She knew that while that had never been Aslan's intention, she couldn't help but wonder if that had been her fate. She wondered if it was part of her destiny to never have a mother and be deprived of being a mother for thirteen hundred years, if not more.

She wondered a lot those first few reversions. As time passed, she began to find answers, but she wondered one question nearly every night. 'Was it her destiny to lose every love she ever had?' She just wanted to know that she hadn't lost his love. She wanted to know if he would still love her after so much had changed. Wasn't love supposed to be unconditional? She thought so. And she hoped that after all this time, he did too.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It didn't take Peter long to start going over the setup inside the tunnels. Caspian brought him and Edmund through the tunnels, and did his best to introduce the High Kings to the soldiers. It was easier for the Kings to remember the names and faces of the soldiers than it was for Caspian, and Peter understood something about the Telmarine crown.

He understood that the Telmarine Kings kept themselves separated from their people in an elite distinction. It was us and them to the Crown. The people were lowly and weak in the Crown's eyes. And the Crown was powerful and oppressive to the people.

He remembered that the Narnian Crown was so much of a minority that the people of the kingdom did not have positions of nobility. If Peter had to compare the governments of the two reigns to those of his home world, he would have called the Narnian Crown a limited monarchy and the Telmarine Crown an absolute monarchy. The Council had served for a long time to ensure that every race in Narnia was represented, and the members of each race selected their Council Member. He guessed that Evelyn would have turned to the Council when they disappeared, and he guessed she would have left them in charge at the Cair so she could lead the search parties.

He remembered the trips he had taken into the North after his eighteenth birthday to meet his people and learn the land of his providence. He remembered his Patrols being his only company, along with his two guards and a few of his Eagles. He remembered the sunshine and storms, the wind and the rain, the clouds and the stars. He remembered the hills and the marshes and the thin forests of wetland trees. He remembered the Marshwiggles and the Bears and the small colony of Gryphons. He remembered the Centaurs in the southern part of the providence and the different Dryads and Nymphs. He remembered the Birds and the small Animals and the bigger Animals. He remembered his land, his people, his North.

He looked down at the signet ring on his right hand, and he remembered how the North had called him the Sword of Narnia. He remembered how his banner and pennant had flown throughout the North. He remembered feeling both pride and worry as he'd watched the red flag with its silver lion, and hoping he could be a good enough King for those people.

He remembered Susan being named the Jewel of Narnia after both her kindness and her beauty. He remembered Edmund being dubbed the Shield of Narnia after the Battle at Beruna, and the fact that his brother tried to protect him from everything. He remembered Lucy being given the title of the Song of Narnia after her ability to save a life with the cordial, her love of music, and her charm and joy. He remembered how together, the four of them had been the Hope of Narnia.

He remembered talking to each of his siblings after their eighteenth birthday when they'd toured their own providence for a year. He remembered their similar feelings of both pride and worry. He remembered the Central Green, the only place besides Cair Paravel that flew all four banners.

Then he let down the wall that had been holding back the memories of her. He remembered not being there to see her off on her eighteenth birthday because he'd already left on his year long tour. He remembered how she'd come back pale and drawn, but satisfied that she'd taken care of the hidden supporters of the Witch. He remembered her riding into the courtyard on Snowfire, her skin white and dark circles under her eyes. He remembered striding towards her to catch her as she slid from the Horse's back. He remembered holding her tight to his chest, feeling how cold her skin was to touch.

He remembered her murmur, "You're warm." He remembered laughing quietly and kissing both her cheeks in the familiar Narnian manor. He remembered how she'd made sure her company was being taken care of before she started walking with him into the palace. He remembered feeling the stiffness and eventually the limp. He remembered how it got worse and worse until he finally looked down and saw the blood seeping through her shirt, and he'd picked her up and run with her to Lucy. He remembered how his sister had instantly uncorked her cordial and let a drop fall onto her pale lips. He remembered how he'd watched the deep gash heal and scar over. He remembered how he'd rested his forehead on her collarbone in relief, and then she'd run an understanding hand through his hair.

Then he found himself back in the present. He sat on one of the sets of the steps of the Table, staring at their frames. He shook himself free of the cobwebs in his mind, and let the wall completely fall. He owed it to her to remember her; and now, to live in Narnia for her. He owed it to her that he was even alive to come back to Narnia now.

She'd saved him so many times that he knew without her he'd have fallen to the Silver Witch. He knew that without her, he would have been an arrogant, big headed man. He knew that without her, he never would have been the High King. He knew without her, he never would have learned patience or control.

But she hadn't only helped him. She'd taught Susan to believe with her heart, not just her eyes. She'd taught Edmund to heal by opening his heart. She'd taught Lucy to see danger behind the beauty; to know it, not fear it. But she'd always let them stand in the spotlight. She never wanted credit or attention. She'd liked being the one behind the scenes, even if it meant standing in their shadow. She had shone in her own way, and she'd never let their enemies forget it.

He sighed; he was missing her more and more every passing minute. He wished he'd found his wedding ring. Maybe that could have eased some of the pain. But it, like their crowns, had vanished.

Then he stood and straightened. He'd never be effective if he was caught up wallowing in memories. He went back to the main caverns, where he found Caspian with the smiths. "They're making sure my armor is sound," the Prince told him, nodding to him.

"Sire, might we check your armor?" one of the Red Dwarves asked, looking up at him.

"Of course," he replied, and they bowed to him as he went to fetch it from the cave he, Edmund, and Caspian were using as sleeping chambers. He picked up his satchel and brought it back to them. He laid out his armor piece by piece, then placed his sword and shield on the table as well.

"All of this survived thirteen hundred years?" one of the Dwarves asked.

"It was sealed in a chest," he replied, leaving them to wonder where that chest had been.

"This is the standard of Old Narnia?" Caspian asked.

"It is. Though the typical weaponry and shields were not quite like this. King Edmund and I were of very few men in Narnia, and both the sword and shield were gifts from Father Christmas himself. Each race then had their own design for everything, and I can see that it is the same now," he told the Prince.

"The Telmarine weaponry seems so harsh compared to the Narnian weaponry," Caspian admitted.

"It should. Everything about Narnia has multiple uses, I guess you could call it. The clothes were made to be comfortable, durable, and beautiful. The weapons were made to be deadly and elegant. I never carried a dress sword, as many did in Calormen and Archenland and even what I remember of Telmar," he replied.

Then Edmund brought in his armor. Caspian noticed that the High King had a helm and hood of chain mail that protected his neck and collarbone. Kind Edmund didn't have that. He had hard leather plates to cover his collarbone and lower neck. Nor did he have a helm. And King Edmund's shield looked more like a faun's shield than Peter's. But they both featured a recurring theme. The red and gold was paired with a lion on most everything the Narnians had.

'Aslan. Their standard was Aslan. Is Aslan,' Caspian realized.'Even High King Peter's signet has The Lion in it,' he thought, glancing at the gold ring.

The sight of his armor brought back both good and bad memories, and Edmund laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He saw the curious glance Caspian gave them, but he didn't say a word. He was the High King of Narnia once more. Then he realized he'd never stopped being the High King.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

They were maybe four hours from the How when the gryphons came swooping down from the clouds. The clouds were low today, heavy with rain. They landed behind her horse, and the Wolves came in, looking worried. "Smoke, Your Highness. We can see smoke," one of the Gryphons told her.

"And we smelt it," a Wolf agreed. She sighed and they started around the source of the smoke, giving it as much of a berth as they could. Once they were a good distance away, she stopped her horse and swung down. She took off her satchel and the weapons pack, leaving them with the Animals so they wouldn't give her away with their noise. Then she drew her bow and strung it, testing it silently.

Flipping the hood of her dark cloak over her golden hair, she slipped into her shadows. It was easy to make her way towards the scent of the smoke without a sound. She could hear men laughing as she got closer. Then she was able to peer out of the undergrowth into a Telmarine camp. And she swallowed.

Ten harsh looking soldiers sat or stood around a camp fire, eating and drinking what smelled like heavy mead to her. But the campfire was larger, the size of a bonfire, and there was a stake in the ground right at the edge. There was a girl, maybe eight years old, tied to the stake with her back to Evelyn. It was making bile rise in her throat, and she felt her blood begin to boil. She hated when children were the victims of violence and crime. It disgusted her to know people would hurt such innocence.

"Tell us you are a Telmarine and we will free you," one soldier told the child.

"Mama said not to lie. And I won't lie and tell you I'm a Telmarine. I'm not a Telmarine. I'm a Narnian," the girl declared, coughing on the smoke.

"Burn then," the soldier snarled. Then he toppled backwards, an arrow in his heart. Three more fell in quick succession, and then the others scrambled to draw their weapons and confront the sudden threat. Evelyn moved around, circling the clearing, shooting down as many of them as she could. She took no pleasure in killing, but she hated child cruelty. So she had no regret as she fired. The girl was coughing violently now, choking on the smoke and Evelyn ran forward before the arrow had even hit the last one.

She heard him fall as she dropped her bow and drew her dagger. Flames were starting to lick at the girl's plain blue dress, and she was crying. Evelyn slashed through the bonds and caught the girl as she fell, yanking her from the flames. She carried the small child to the other side of a tent and set her down, going back to search the camp for a canteen. Picking up multiple, she brought them to the girl, who gulped one hastily. Evelyn used another to wash soot and ash from the girl's hair, face, and hands.

"So you're of Narnia, are you?" she asked, and bright blue eyes flicked up to meet hers.

"Yes, ma'am. That's why they took me away. Mama's whole family believes in Aslan, but I got caught talking about Him at school. Being burned alive is the penalty," the girl coughed.

"And your name, little miss?" Evelyn asked, handing her another canteen.

"Lynn, ma'am," she replied.

"Well, Lynn, since you're a Narnian, would you like to meet some of Narnia's creatures?" Evelyn asked.

"Oh, yes please," Lynn's blue eyes lit up, and she was reminded painfully of Queen Lucy.

"Well, come on then," she said, taking the girl's hand. She'd already sheathed her dagger, and then she looked down. She covered the girl's eyes with one hand and lead her passed the bodies, into the woods. She picked up her bow as they walked. Once in the woods, she let out a low whistle that only an Animal could hear.

She stood with her arm around Lynn's shoulder as the Wolves came from the deeper woods. The Elk, the Tiger, and her horse followed, and the Gryphons were close behind. They circled around her, and she noticed that they'd balanced her two bags on her horse's back. "Everyone, this is Lynn," she told the squad.

"Hello, Lynn," the Elk said, bowing to the girl.

"Hello," she replied, curtsying.

"Stay here, okay? I'm going back to find you a cloak," Evelyn told her, looking down at the small girl. She nodded, and the Gryphons and Elk moved in around her protectively. The Wolves and Tiger followed Evelyn as she returned to the clearing. She drew her sword as she stepped from the shadows, and she approached each body with the same caution. She checked each for a pulse she knew was absent, and then pulled her arrows free. The ones that broke she threw in the fire.

Then she searched each tent, each bag, and each saddle. She tied the horses into two strings, and then hung the bags on the saddles. She kept out the smallest cloak she could find, and then she lead the horses back into the woods. "Lynn, put this on," she said, handing over the cloak.

"What are the horses for?" the girl asked, fastening the long cloak around her shoulders.

"We are using them as pack animals. We'll move faster if they carry the weapons," she explained. The girl nodded, and helped her take packs from the Wolves, Tiger, and Elk. Then they loaded up the dozen horses and took the packs from the Gryphons as well. The horses had clearly been kept around dogs, because they didn't fuss around the Wolves. The Gryphons took to the air, and the Wolves started out, spreading out around the horses.

"Which horse am I riding?" Lynn asked.

"Hold that thought," Evelyn replied, reaching into the side pocket of her satchel for the spare belt she'd stashed in there. Then she reached into her boot and pulled a dagger out. Orieus had gifted it to her one Christmas, and now she was giving it to Lynn. She sure as hell couldn't send a child into a war zone without some kind of personal defense. Slipping the sheathed blade into the loop on the belt, she buckled it around the girl's small waist. "You seem to understand that this is a weapon, not a toy, but I'm just making sure," she told the eight year old.

"Mama taught me," was her assurance.

"Your mama taught you a lot, huh, kiddo?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. She taught me everything. Daddy taught my brothers, but they didn't believe in Princess Evelyn like I do. They believed all the stories about the Kings, since they're both named after them. I'm the first warrior girl born into the family in a long time, so I got named after the Princess," the blue eyed child explained.

"I think you're the first to be named after me," Evelyn replied, somewhat unsurprised.

"You're Princess Evelyn?" Lynn gasped, looking up at her. She nodded and pulled her hood down. The braid she'd coiled at the base of her neck fell down over her shoulder, and Lynn reached up to catch the golden whip. "Your hair really is gold!" the blue eyed widened, and Evelyn nodded, smiling. Then Moon jumped from her shoulder to Lynn's, making the little girl giggle.

"Come on, now, Lady Lynn," Evelyn smiled, and lifted the small girl onto the Elk's back. Then she vaulted onto the back of her mare and they started out. The horses followed along behind her, and Evelyn couldn't help but wonder what she was about to bring Lynn into.

She glanced at the girl, and then pulled her hood up over her hair. Lynn did the same, and Evelyn smiled when she saw Moon curl around the girl's neck.

Then she focused on making a plan. She needed to have a plan to get Lynn out if things went awry. With a shake of her head, she realized she was already taking responsibility for Lynn in a way too older sister way. For the next three hours, she thought of plan after plan, and then discarded one after another. She wondered if someone would think Lynn was her own child. She hoped not, but she didn't think she'd mind if someone did. She had spent a long time wishing for a child when the High King had been there. And then, just when she finally had a chance to have one, he'd vanished and she'd given up the child. She had spent thirteen hundred years trying not to dwell on the baby, but now, those hopes and dreams came back in full force.

Then a burning cold laced through her back, and she hissed in surprise and pain. She was caught off guard by the ice, and she forced herself to fight it. She refused to submit, but she could feel herself slipping. Then she felt a light weight on her thigh, and she looked down to see Moon. "The ice came back, didn't it?" the Kitten asked, climbing to her shoulder. She nodded and felt the warmth fighting off the ice. It was hard for her to admit that the cold still got to her, and she didn't want Lynn to be afraid.

"The High King won't like this," Moon told her.

She nodded and sighed. Then a thought occurred to her. "If he remembers," she replied, and she felt closer to tears than she'd been in years.


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: the ice can be explained in Too Much To Ask For, the first book of the Golden Shadows Collection**

Chapter 9

"Where's High King Peter?" Caspian asked, looking about the cavern. He and Queen Susan had just returned underground from archery training, and needed to tell the High King of the scout.

"Exploring the tunnels," King Edmund replied.

"Why?" the Prince asked curiously.

"He found Princess Evelyn in the paintings," Queen Lucy explained quietly. Susan understood instantly, and she went to her younger sister. She wrapped one arm around the smaller girl, who rested her head on her sister's shoulder. "We all miss her, but he more than any of us," Lucy whispered.

"It's not the same without our shadow," Queen Susan said gently, looking up at Edmund.

"How could it be the same?" the King asked.

"I do not know many stories of Princess Evelyn. Why is she so special to the High King?" Caspian asked.

"She made him the High King. She knocked him down a peg when his head or ego got too big, or she'd lift him up when his confidence was down. She listened to him, just listened, and she reminded him to look. She was his companion and friend for a while, and then they fell in love. She was his guardian, and he was her savior. He loved her. He still does," Lucy replied.

"She didn't just help him with being the High King though. She taught him patience and tolerance, something I could only have for him. She taught him to understand and listen. She taught him to believe in his word, and to trust," Edmund explained.

"And she taught us too. She taught me to believe with my heart. She taught Edmund to forgive himself. She taught Lucy to know danger behind every beauty but not to fear it. And she taught herself to trust," Susan added.

"She sounds as though she had no flaws," Caspian told them.

"Depends on the flaws you speak of. After what happened with the Silver Witch, she had constant nightmares, but the cold affected neither me nor the High King after the Witch was killed. Her time as the Princess of the Wild Lands left her scarred both physically and mentally. Her memories were dangerous, and could easily send her into what we called a shut down. She feared the winter for years. After Christmas, winter was hard for her, and the darkest nights were unkind. When she would return from the Territory, she'd come home pale and blue-lipped and exhausted. She healed slowly, with help, but the entire sixteen years I knew her, she hated the cold," Edmund responded.

"She had scars, some from the Wild Lands, others from before Narnia, and she had these two birth marks. They were patches of skin around her eyes that never returned to normal coloring. Some of the skin was darker than the rest, some lighter. We couldn't hide it with makeup enough that the dark patches were gone, but as long as it was only the Narnians, she was fine. She had things she couldn't do either, one being embroidery. She could sew and stitch and other things like that, but she just couldn't sit still long enough to learn embroidery. And she always said she couldn't sing, but I thought she had a nice voice. She could play a lute as well, which along with dancing, she didn't do often. And she never willingly fought using a shield. Long weapons, like a spear or pike, she knew how to use, but she neither was good with them nor liked them. And she did not have the strength for weapons such as a mace or hammer," Susan continued.

"And she got seasick. The first time we went on a sea voyage, all five of us, she spent the first day hugging the rail, trying not to heave. And she was afraid of snakes, pitch darkness, needles, and she hated being the center of attention. She always preferred being able to hide in the shadows so no one suspected her of planning some kind of sneak attack. And murky water too; she was always nervous around murky water, because she couldn't see what was in it," Lucy supplied.

"What did the Princess look like?" Caspian asked.

"She was roughly five and a half feet tall, and she was lean. She never seemed to have a trace of body fat, and she had these cordlike muscles from working with a sword, archery, and running. She had golden hair that she wore anywhere between the length of her shoulders and elbows. I thought she was pretty, but Peter always swore she was the most beautiful girl anywhere. Oh, and her eyes were gold," Edmund told him.

"She usually wore a shirt and pants, with some kind of vest or jerkin and boots. She'd wear a dress if I made her, but most of the time we ended up compromising with a tunic and leggings. Her hair always had some sort of braid in it, whether it was a full braid, half braid, two braids, a braided ponytail, a braided coil, or even small side braids. She hated having her hair in her face," Susan added.

"And she was always armed. Most of the time it was the sword and dagger from Peter, but on a march she carried the bow I gave her as well. And she always had at least the two daggers from Edmund and Orieus hidden somewhere. Oh, and she wore her rings too. She had her wedding band and bridal ring on her left hand, and her Princess signet ring on her right hand. She didn't like earrings, I remember that well, and she didn't wear bracelets, but she usually wore some kind of necklace," Lucy finished.

"It's true then; her eyes were gold," Caspian said.

"Yes. When she was with the Witch, her eyes were bright blue. The longer she was with Peter, more and more gold starting showing up, and when the Deep Magic came to her after the Witch was defeated, they were all gold. Once, when she and Peter went off to fight the Giants in the Wild Lands, they returned to blue. They didn't go back to gold for nearly a week," Susan responded, and Lucy nodded sadly.

"We'll leave him be for now. We can tell him of the scout later," Caspian decided, and Susan nodded.

Peter stood with his hand braced on the wall, his head bowed. The image in front of him was the most painful so far. It was their wedding day, when they'd stood at the altar, both crowned, and both in white. Unlike in England, in Narnia the groom wore white as well.

He missed her too much. He couldn't keep looking at these pictures, or he'd break down in tears. But then he realized something. These pictures had obviously been done after they were gone; maybe his child was in them somewhere. So he searched.

He found everything about his reign. Every battle, every victory, every treaty, every ceremony, they were all depicted on the walls. Every major event was there, and he found a set of four caverns that had so far remained untouched by the army. They ranged in a circle, like points on a compos, one to the direct North, a second to the direct West, another to the direct South, and the last to the direct East.

The Northern cave showed pictures of only him and his people. He saw the marshes and the hills, and he saw the Animals and creatures he'd loved. Other images showed him in various battles and events. The wall in the cavern to the North showed only him. Three pictures took up the wall, and he was a different age in each. The one on the left was him on his coronation day, in his crown and beautiful clothing. Behind that figure was a landscape from the North. The one on the right was him about a year before he'd left Narnia, in his armor and holding his sword and shield. His signet had been drawn as the backround here. The one in the middle was on his twenty-fifth birthday, and it was the exact picture that the statue in Cair Paravel modeled. He wore his crown and held his sword, and a huge image of his banner stood behind him.

All the images were in color, and none of them had faded. When he went to Edmund's cavern, he saw that it was the same there as well. None of Susan's or Lucy's color had faded either. The images in their caverns mirrored his, showing their people and states, and the three images at the same three ages. Their signets and banners were shown as well, and he found that underneath the images were words.

In his cavern, the words started beneath the images of his people. "Here you see the High King of Narnia, the Emperor of the Lone Islands, the Lord of Cair Paravel, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion; Sir Peter Wolfsbane. Crowned King he was, to the Clear Northern Sky, the Magnificent. Called he was, the Gold, the Proud, the Sword of Narnia. His red banner flew the silver Lion, and his shield with its Lion was guarded by leaves of the oak," the beautiful writing said.

In Edmund's cavern, he found something similar. His brother's words read, "Here stands the King of Narnia, Duke of the Lantern Waste, Count of the Western March, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Table; Sir Edmund Wandbreaker. Crowned he was, to the Great Western Wood, the Just. Called he was, the Forgiving, the Protector, the Shield of Narnia. His silver banner flew the gold Lion, and his crossed swords were guarded by the branches of the pines."

Then, continuing to Susan's cavern, he read, "Behold the Queen of Narnia, Duchess of Archenland, Lady of Cair Paravel; Lady Susan. Crowned she was, to the Radiant Southern Sun, the Gentle. Called she was, the Beautiful, the Peaceful, the Jewel of Narnia. Her gold banner flew the silver Lion, and her horn was guarded by the vines of the roses."

Lastly, he read Lucy's words. It said, "Here stands the Queen of Narnia, Empress of the Lone Islands, Countess of Terebinthia. Crowned she was, to the Glistening Eastern Sea, the Valiant. Called she was, the Joyous, the Warrior, the Song of Narnia. Her gold banner flew the red Lion, and her cordial was guarded by the points of the stars."

He was surprised not to find anything about Evelyn. But he did find the central chamber, the one with the standards of all of Narnia. One was the red background with the gold Lion that they had worn on their tabard with their armor. It was represented by both King Edmund and Princess Evelyn in full armor. The second was the Queens holding the gold banners with the red Lion and red bar across the top. The third was depicted by the High King bearing his silver shield in front of his body, revealing the red Lion on the front.

On the last wall were the words, "Here stand the Kings of Narnia, Queens of Narnia, the Princess of Narnia. Crowned they were, to the Four Directions, the Royals. Called they were, Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve, the Hope of Narnia. Their red banner flew the gold Lion, and their Crown was guarded by the face of the Lion." He couldn't help but move to stand before Evelyn's picture, and he nearly cried. It was so accurate, and it was one of the more detailed pictures of her. It was one of the only pictures of her.

It was strange to see the story of his reign in pictures, and to know exactly who else had been there. It was odd to know every picture that she'd been left out of, and to remember where she'd been without him. She'd been left out of so much, and her whole story of the Silver Witch was absent. Which he thought was odd, since it had been one of the biggest things in their reign. It's been how they'd met. And he had yet to find it.

Then he found the small tunnel in the back of the How. It was a dead end at a small cave. And he found her story. It was shown as a timeline, but he realized it was an afterthought. It started with an image of her as the Princess of the Wild Lands, then it showed the two of them together, facing down Jado. Her hand rested on the back of his shoulder, and he had his sword drawn to defend her from the Prince's black blade. Instantly, that day was clear in his mind, and he could almost feel her hand on his back.

The next picture showed her being crowned the Princess of Narnia. After the image of her at their wedding, he had to force himself to go on, and eventually, when he got to the cavern, he fell to his knees and cried as he read. "And last stands the Princess of Narnia, Lady of the North, Lady of Cair Paravel, Sir Evelyn Kingsshield. Crowned she was, to the Far Northern Wind, the Honorable. Called she was, the Shadow, the Vigilant, the Guardian of Narnia. Her silver banner flew the red Lion, and her single blade was guarded by the leaves of the maple," it said, and he let a tear fall.

"I will find you, Evelyn. I will figure out what happened to you. I will avenge you and Narnia. You taught me to be the High King. Now I have to fight on my own," he declared, and he touched his hand to the word Guardian. "Guardian of Narnia and Guardian of the High King," he added, and if anyone had heard him, they would have thought it a promise.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Evelyn cursed when the storm rolled in. It blotted out the sun and darkness encased the forest, making it harder for them to cover ground quickly. They slowed down considerably, and what should have only taken three and a half hours took over seven.

It was maybe late afternoon when they finally arrived at the edge of the field around the How. The rain slowed, and subsided, and she waited for it to grow lighter. Then the wind came, and it grew even darker. "I don't want to approach in the dark. They might think us Telmarines," she sighed, and Lynn's Elk moved up beside her horse.

"So we wait," the girl said simply.

"Caspian needs me now. I've been away too long, and the war is even closer now," she replied, urging her horse forward. The line of pack horses followed until Evelyn heard a clink of metal from in front of her. Her head jerked up, and then she was yanked from the back of her mare. Lynn screamed and Evelyn twisted to see her pulled from the Elk. "Leave her alone!" Evelyn snarled, ripping herself free. She drew her sword and launched herself at the struggling form of Lynn. Instantly, the two figures holding the girl leaped away and Lynn darted to her side, her dagger in hand.

Then the figures were attacking again, and Evelyn knocked one after another to the ground. She'd spent thirteen hundred years fighting with a sword, and they had to know they couldn't win. Then two figures came forward, and based on their shapes she guessed they were human. She was pretty sure she'd been fighting fauns and Dwarves, and now, the two humans attacked with more skill.

The taller of the two drew her focus as the smaller slipped around her side. She pulled Lynn behind her, facing both attackers. Then they both attacked and Lynn leaped back, towards the trees. Evelyn couldn't stop the smaller from slipping around her once more, but she could stop the taller from getting to close. And she could disarm him after a few minutes and rest the tip of her blade on his collar bone.

And then Lynn screamed. "Drop the sword," a young man ordered. Instantly, she moved behind the man she had disarmed, kicked the back of his leg, driving him to his knees, and brought her sword up against his throat. And she faced the other man.

Then the sun broke through the clouds. Once her eyes had recovered, she saw that Lynn stood opposite her, the other man's sword at her throat. That man was maybe fourteen, with dark hair and clever dark eyes. He held Lynn's dagger in his other hand, and he held Evelyn's gaze evenly. "Drop the sword," he repeated.

Evelyn's heart constricted in her chest as she recognized the man. "You first, Your Majesty," she replied calmly.

"Who are you?" he asked. "How do you know who I am?"

"Well I know you're not Prince Caspian, and I know there are no other humans here. Who else could you be?" she answered.

"How do you know the Prince?" he demanded.

"He sent me to the North to gather the Gryphons and what weapons I could. I'm the one who led the Narnians before he arrived," she lifted her chin as she spoke, and he saw a woman who had seen it all, not the girl she appeared to be.

"And your name?" he asked.

"You know it, Your Majesty," she said, and then she stepped away from the blonde seventeen year old kneeling with his back to her. He didn't move, but the dark haired one went still in shock. His blade fell away from Lynn's throat as he looked down at the blonde's face, and he swallowed. The blonde's blue eyes had glassed over, and both of them were reeling.

"Come here, Lynn," Evelyn ordered, and the girl tucked herself under Evelyn's arm without a word. Evelyn sheathed her sword, and stared at the two teenagers with an unreadable expression. But she could feel the sadness welling up inside her. They didn't know who she was. She sighed, and then she said, "My name."

But she was cut off by the blonde. "Evelyn. Your name is Evelyn. You're the Princess of the Far Territory. You're the Princess of Old," he said.

"Hello, Your Majesties," she replied, and then Peter was on his feet, whirling to face her.

"How are you here? You should be dead," he said, and he moved closer, as he couldn't believe it was her.

"Aslan allowed me to stay the whole time," she told him, and she bowed to him. He took her elbows in his hands and lifted her back to her full height, and their eyes met. Then Peter pushed her hood down and his hand rested on the side of her face. "It's been a long time, Your Majesty," she murmured, leaning her head into his touch instinctively.

"Much longer for you though. It was only a year for me," he replied.

"Thirteen hundred years, Your Majesty. Much has changed in so long," she told him.

"Have we changed?" he asked softly, and her breath got in her throat. "I can understand if there was someone else. You probably thought I was dead," he whispered.

"No. There was only ever you. There will only ever be you," she assured him, and she slid a hand around the back of his neck. "And no, we've not changed. Why should it change; love is supposed to be unconditional," she added.

"That's what makes it love," he murmured, leaning his forehead against hers. Her heart soared and she could feel his pulse under her hand. "The little one, is she yours?" he asked softly, holding his breath.

"No. She's an orphan. I guess you could say I've adopted her," she whispered.

"What happened to our child?" he asked, feeling his heart tighten.

"It wasn't his time to join us in the world. But someday we'll have a son," she promised quietly.

"Aslan promised?" he asked, and she nodded. He was so relieved, and suddenly filled with a need to kiss her. And then she was kissing him.

When they drew apart, she looked down at her arm in surprise. "I could feel your need again," she told him, looking up at him with her gold eyes. Her voice was joyous and sad at the same time, and he kissed her again, quickly and gently.

"I missed you so much," he told her.

"I missed you, too," she replied, and he pulled her tight to him, wrapping his arms around her. She buried her face in his shoulder, and he bent his neck so his forehead rested on her shoulder.

After a minute, Evelyn and Peter stepped apart, and Edmund embraced Evelyn. "Welcome home, Your Majesty," Evelyn said, giving him a shallow curtsy. He clasped her shoulder, and handed his brother his sword.

"It's been a long time, Princess," he replied, and she nodded.

"Lynn, meet High King Peter and King Edmund," she said, turning to the small girl.

"Your Majesties," the girl curtsied and Evelyn smiled proudly.

"Hello, Milady," Peter said, bowing to her. Beside him, Edmund bowed as well. "Will you come inside now?" he asked, turning back to Evelyn.

She nodded, and then turned to look for her pack horses. She found them already gathered and being led into the How. The Gryphons, Wolves, and the small herd of Elk had already vanished underground. Domino was standing at the top of the tunnel, his tail lashing his sides as he waited for her. Lynn took her hand, and she smiled down at the small auburn head. The High King took her other hand, and Edmund fell in on his brother's other side. "Edmund, can I have Lynn's dagger back now?" she asked as they walked. The King laughed and handed it over. Evelyn tucked it back into the sheath on Lynn's hip, and then took her hand again.

The High King's warmth was spreading into Evelyn as they walked, and she realized how much it had hurt to miss that feeling. She'd known her Kings and Queens would return eventually, but as more and more time passed, she'd found it harder and harder to hope for their arrival. She'd returned to the How often after it had been built, and she'd spent so much time on their story. Then she'd thrown her own in as an afterthought, knowing that she couldn't stay in Narnia forever. And now that they were back, she knew she would join them when they left again.

She squeezed Peter's hand, and his blue eyes turned to her. "I missed you," she explained softly. A sad smile touched his face, and he squeezed her hand in reply. He could feel her warming to his touch, and he realized that she'd been cold for thirteen hundred years. He couldn't imagine watching the land he loved change like that, and he couldn't imagine having to watch as the land was invaded and the people destroyed. He couldn't imagine having to go on for so long without her. He'd thought a year had been painful, but now that he knew how much time had passed for her, he wanted to laugh at himself. So instead, he raised their joined hands and kissed the back of her knuckles. She turned her gold eyes on him, and he saw his own sadness mirrored in them.

Then they made a promise. They'd focus on the time they had together and not dwell on the time they'd lost.


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I wanted to get this up on Christmas, but I had some technical issues. So here's a late gift for whatever holiday you celebrate! There's more to unwrap after this, but I have to give it to you first! **** So Happy Holidays! Tune in soon for a Narnian holiday story.**

Chapter 11

"Peter, what was all that about?" a young girl asked as they emerged into the main caverns of the How.

"We have a few new recruits. Come and meet their leader. I think you'll like her," Peter replied, looking for the source of the voice, his youngest sister. He spotted her standing by the tunnel into Aslan's cavern, and he realized she was watching the girl at his side curiously. Peter led Evelyn and Lynn to his sister, Edmund close behind.

"You look familiar," Lucy told Evelyn, standing in front of the seventeen year old. In the gloom, the younger girl couldn't see Evelyn's gold eyes to know that it was her.

"I should, Your Majesty," Evelyn replied, and she bowed.

Her golden braid fell over her shoulder, and Lucy saw the coloring. "Evelyn? Is that you?" she asked, her eyes lighting up

"Hello, my Queen," Evelyn replied, and she laughed as Lucy threw her arms around her.

"How are you here? Did you return to England like we did?" the blue eyed Queen asked.

"No, I never left. Aslan gave me three choices. I could stay in Narnia, have the baby, age, and die here. Or I could leave Narnia and never return, giving up both the baby and my memory of this world. But I chose to stay in Narnia, and return to the age I was the exact second I entered this world. I lost the baby, and I grew again to the age I was the exact second you left. Then I returned again to fifteen, and grew once more," Evelyn explained, and she felt Peter stiffen behind her.

"And who is this little one?" Lucy asked, moving to stand before the small auburn haired girl beside Evelyn.

"My name is Lynn, Your Majesty," the child replied, curtsying.

"Hello, Lynn. Call me Lucy, okay?" the Queen asked, curtsying back.

Lynn nodded, and then an older girl came from the tunnel. "Lucy, are they back yet?" she asked, and Evelyn knew her voice.

"They are. And they brought an old friend," Lucy answered.

"Oh, and who might that be?" Queen Susan asked, stepping into the light from a torch on the wall.

"Hello, Your Majesty," Evelyn responded, bowing.

"Impossible. You should be dead," the sixteen year old replied.

"Well, in short, Aslan kept me alive," Evelyn told her, taking the Queen's hands in her own.

"Queen Susan, are we going to continue? Or have they yet to return?" a richly accented and familiar voice called down the corridor as another figure approached.

"We are coming, Caspian," Peter assured the Prince as he stepped from the shadows.

"Ah, welcome back, milady. I hope your venture was successful," Caspian said, noticing Susan and Evelyn.

"It was, Your Highness. And we have slightly unexpected company," Evelyn replied, bowing to him. The Kings and Queens noticed that the bow she gave him was shallower than the ones to them. Lynn curtsied to the Prince and he nodded to her. He turned back into the corridor, and the Queens followed. King Edmund stepped around Lynn as the High King took Evelyn's hand once more and drew her with him as he followed his brother. Lynn hurried after the blonde girl, not willing to let her out or her sight.

In Aslan's cavern, Queen Lucy climbed up onto the Table, and Evelyn sat on the steps facing into the ring of Narnians gathered in the cavern. Edmund moved to sit on the steps of one the ruined columns standing in a ring around the Table. Peter stood beside him as Susan moved to the opposite side of the Table and sat back against similar steps, Caspian standing beside her. Lynn curled up at Evelyn's feet and Evelyn noticed that Domino, the Tiger, had followed. Reepicheep bowed to her, and other Animals nodded to her. Glenstorm and the centaurs half bowed, and she saw that a few of the other Creatures nodded to her as well. She gave one single nod, and then turned to the High King.

"It's only a matter of time. Miraz's men and war machines are on their way. That means those same men aren't protecting his castle," Peter said, and she knew that they were debating some kind of battle plan. At least, they were arguing over what their course of action was to be.

"What do you propose we do, Your Majesty?" Reepicheep asked. Evelyn looked to Caspian and Susan's faces and saw that they had already guessed Peter's intention. She guessed they had already spoken their idea by the look on Edmund's face.

Then the High King and the Prince clashed. Evelyn couldn't untangle the two garbled sentences, and she didn't try. The High King turned to the Prince, and Evelyn saw the surprise in his eyes. Then he seemed to tell the Prince, "I outrank you," with body language, and Caspian gave in. He lowered his chin slightly, and stepped back, and that was all Peter needed to resume control. "Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us" he told the assembly.

"But that's crazy. No one has ever taken that castle," Caspian argued.

"There's always a first time," Peter shook off his argument, and she knew he was thinking he could do it without a problem. But that was a problem within itself.

"No, Peter. It has been tried, many times. The no one he speaks of is me, and the attacks I led against the Telmarine Crown. I failed. Four times I tried to lay siege, and I failed every time. I tried an aerial attack to just get soldiers over the walls and kill the King. It never worked. I tried to keep the gates open from the inside. I lost more soldiers than I could afford. You have a small army as the result. Do not make the same mistake and wipe the Narnians off the map," Evelyn spoke quietly, but her voice held the power the High King remembered.

And it held the power of ruling alone for hundreds of years. Peter's eyes flashed with both anger and guilt as he turned to Evelyn, but the sadness in her eyes held his tongue. 'But that was when you led them alone, without a Prince to give you the secrets. You have me and Edmund back now, and Caspian too,' he thought, willing her to hear him out.

"We'll have the element of surprise. You haven't launched an attack against them in generations. They'll have forgotten to keep their guard up," Trumpkin argued against her.

"But we have the advantage here," Caspian protested.

"If we dig in, we could probably hold them off indefinitely," Susan told Peter, pushing herself to her feet to back Caspian. He turned to look at her, and her eyes flicked to him. She missed, but Evelyn didn't, the look of betrayal and anger Peter gave her.

"I for one feel safer underground," Trufflehunter spoke up, and Evelyn sighed. She didn't like the idea of a direct assault, nor hiding in the How. She had gotten good at launching surprise raids on the outposts and camps of the Telmarines, and using their own fears against them. It would risk fewer lives than an assault, and it wouldn't keep the bottled up for slaughter.

"Look," Peter said, standing in front of the taller Caspian. "I appreciate what you've done here, but this isn't a fortress, it's a tomb," he told the black haired teen.

'Yes, it is. Not just of bodies but of memories too,' Evelyn thought. 'But we can't risk so many, Peter.'

"Yes, and if they're smart, the Telmarines will just wait and starve us out," Edmund spoke up, and Peter turned to look at him.

"We could collect nuts," the Squirrel offered.

"Yes, and throw them at the Telmarines," Reepicheep replied sarcastically. "Shut up," he ordered, and the Squirrel's tiny shoulders sagged in defeat. "I think you know where I stand, Sire," he added, turning to Peter. Everyone knew Reepicheep was a Mouse of action, not patience.

Peter hesitated for a minute, thinking, and then he turned to Glenstorm. He took two thoughtful steps towards the Centaur as he asked, "If I get your troops in, can you handle the guards?"

Evelyn tensed as her friend looked over at Caspian, and she saw the confliction in his eyes. He'd pledged himself to Caspian first, and he didn't like the High King's plan. But his loyalties lay first with a Narnian King, and he didn't want to let down his King. "Or die trying, my liege," he finally said, bowing his head.

Resignation, slight anger, and possibly even betrayal flashed through Caspian's eyes, and his shoulders went down fractionally. Evelyn wanted so badly to smack Peter in the head or beat some sense into him in a challenge. He was being a stubborn ass that refused to admit that he was at a disadvantage in this time period.

"That's what I'm worried about," Lucy spoke up, drawing attention from all sides.

"Sorry?" Peter replied, turning to her and furrowing his eyebrows slightly.

"Well, you're all acting like there's only two options; dying here, or dying there," she said.

"Not sure you've really been listening, Lu," Peter responded patronizingly.

"No, you're not listening. Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch, Peter?" Queen Lucy snapped, and she sounded older to Evelyn.

Peter's eyes hardened with anger and stubbornness as he glared at his youngest sister. "I think we've waited for Aslan long enough," he told her, and his voice told everyone he was done with this discussion. He turned and walked out, but he was stopped at the outer edge of the assembly.

"No, Your Majesty. You've barely begun to wait. You're risking the lives of a people who do not know you, and only by default owe you any allegiance. They pledged themselves to Caspian before you got here. They follow you because you are the High King of Old, a true King of Narnia, and perhaps the biggest legend. But until two days ago, you were a myth. You cannot ask this of them. It will destroy any chance we have of winning. Aslan is here, whether you wait for him or not, but you must know that if Queen Lucy will not support this, it cannot be supported by Aslan," Evelyn said, standing. She spoke to the High King's back, but she spoke anyway. Everyone, including the royalty, could feel the power radiating off her. He turned to face her, and met her eyes. Even in the gloom, he could see them set ablaze with the fire he'd fallen in love with.

"And Caspian, waiting down here is not an option. We would starve. Give your uncle or at least his advisers some credit. They would just trap us down here, weaken us, and then exterminate every last one of us. But you also must know that just because Glenstorm pledged his sword to you does not mean you have the highest power. You are a Telmarine Prince, and if I remember correctly, you only asked for the aid of the Narnians to reclaim your throne. The only reason any of us help us is to make you Narnian, and to put a Narnian King on the throne. Our first loyalty lies with a true Narnian King. But you also have no right to ask us to lay down our lives for you and forfeit this war," she added, turning to the Prince. He looked her in the eyes, and he could almost feel her burning straight into his soul.

"Your Majesty, you may be the High King from the legend, and you may have led Narnian to dozens of victories, but you lack the knowledge of now. Things have changed. And Your Highness, you may be the Prince from the enemy, and you may know dozens of the Telmarines' secrets, but you lack the experience of war. This is not a game. You are both clearly capable of leading, but you must learn to lead together. One of you has the knowledge the other lacks, and one of you has the experience the other lacks. Put it together. And do it before we all get killed," she told them, and every being in the cavern was filled with guilt and realization.

Then she strode out, Lynn at her side. She walked right passed the High King, and she didn't look at him. She knew how to be a Princess, and she knew how to be a commander. She didn't return to hear the plan for the assault, but she did take her orders from King Edmund. He was the only one she didn't feel like snapping at. Even the Queens were letting the situation get to them.

"You're sure you can do this, Ed?" she asked, and she took his fancy torch from his hand.

"I have to. I don't think Caspian or Susan should be going, but we need Caspian to make this run smoothly. And I can't send Peter into the heart of the castle alone. Especially with you staying in the courtyard to give him the time to get to Miraz. I wish you would just take command. Peter and Caspian would listen to you, both they're too busy trying to prove themselves to the other to listen to each other," he replied, and he sat on her rough cot.

"I don't want any of us going. People are going to die tomorrow, Ed. And then they're going to blame each other. And it's all we can do to not say I told you so. Because I know you don't support Peter one hundred percent," she told him, sitting beside him.

"I support Peter. I don't support his idea. But he's pulling rank on me, Caspian, even Lucy," he corrected her. He turned his head to meet her eyes, and he saw a glimpse of the age in them.

"He's pulling it on me, too. I think, as well, that he's pulling age. He must have been treated like a child again, and he didn't get that here. He was expected to act mature and older before he even took the Crown. But he doesn't get that I'd be older than all of you. I was here those thirteen hundred years. I lived those thirteen hundred years. You four lived those thirteen hundred years ago," she reminded him, and she rested a comforting hand on his arm.

"I know, Ev. It's hard though, admitting that we're wrong in front of people who have such high expectations of us. And it's even harder for him," he told her. He ran his hand through his already disheveled hair, and she smiled sadly as she recognized the action. The fact that she was seeing it now meant he was worried and close to stress.

"I know, Ed. But it's harder admitting that you were wrong after the fact that you've been proven wrong," she replied, turning the torch over in her hands. Their whole plan rode on this little piece of English technology. She handed it back, and then she turned to face her King. "All we can do is keep both of them from falling to far, because we both know they're going to fall," she told him.

"You catch Peter, I'll catch Caspian?" he asked, and though he said it jokingly, she heard the serious undertone.

"I'll always catch Peter, whether he realizes he's falling or not," she promised, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder in a brotherly hug. She hugged him back, and then he was gone.


	13. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: I hope you guys like this chapter, and that it satisfies both the romantics and the action-lovers. **

Chapter 12

Evelyn looked over her shoulder at Peter in time to see Lucy walk passed him without a word. She saw him sigh, and then he was walking alongside Glenstorm. She turned back to the front and followed Edmund into the trees, where the army was winding their way through the forest. It wasn't hard for her to walk straight towards this battle like it was for Caspian or any of the Pevensies. She hadn't yet lost the feeling of her Kings and Queens being gone, and so she still felt quite alone as she walked.

Lynn had readily agreed to keep Queen Lucy company, and Evelyn knew that her little charge was safe with the Warrior Queen. 'The Warrior Queen...' She thought, glancing at the Queen walking beside her. 'What does it say about this plan that the Gentle Queen is the one in armor beside me?' She asked herself. 'The Gentle Queen rode beside you in battle before, what makes this different?' She argued. 'That was only when one of her siblings wasn't there to lead it instead. Like the first Giant War, when I was supposed to follow to High King with a squad and instead ended up helping Queen Susan fight off the Fell Beasts. Then can we please just agree that this feels wrong? Yes, we can. Agreed,' the two sides of her brain fought back and forth for a moment, and then finally gave in to her heart.

Evelyn walked without seeing where she was most of the way, since she knew the way like she knew Moon was curled underneath her shirt. And when she began to see, they were stopped, night had fallen, and Edmund was already being lifted into the air in the gryphon's paws and talons. The High King, the Prince, the Queen, and Trumpkin were picked up next, and then she was airborne, huge paws around her waist. Her gryphon swooped after the High King's, flying alongside for a moment. That moment was enough for their eyes to meet and for Peter to see the acceptance of Death in her gaze. Guilt and pain washed over him, but he shook it free, forcing his mind to clear for what lay ahead.

Evelyn's shadow adapted eyes picked up on the guard being grabbed by Edmund's gryphon and the King dropping into place. Then those same eyes saw the three men with her draw their swords, and the Queen draw back her bowstring. She drew her own sword and then they were swooping down onto the ramparts. She saw Caspian cut one guard down from a tower, briefly hanging by only one hand to silence the man. And she saw the guard take aim at the bluish light at the top of Edmund's tower, and him fall with the Queen's arrow in his back. Then the High King and his sister were on their feet, running, and the High King sent another guard down with a brutal slash.

Her feet hit the stone, and they ran along the ramparts until Caspian stopped them. Lowering the rope he had, he climbed down onto a ledge, Peter climbing down behind him. She guarded the Queen and Trumpkin as they climbed down, and then Trumpkin hissed at her to come. He cleared the ledge for her, and she slid down, and then cut the rope above her. She looked to the Dwarf when she ducked in the window, and when he nodded, she sheathed her sword. "Let's go," The High King ordered once Caspian had slipped away. She led Trumpkin through the castle to the bridge room, and she cut down the guards as he went in. She held off guard after guard, eventually creating a barricade of dead Telmarines.

"Evelyn, get in here," Reepicheep called, and she flung herself backwards as the door opened. She kicked it closed in the soldiers' faces and slid the two swords she'd taken through the handles of the doors, locking them until the doors broke. She swung around, and shooed the mice away.

"Guard the other door," she ordered, and she heaved against the wheel. It must have taken four Telmarines to move this quickly, but she and Trumpkin managed it. A crossbow bolt sliced the air over her head and she dropped, ducking behind the wheel. Three more followed and Trumpkin drew his bow and fired back from the side of the opening.

Then two guards broke down the doors she'd locked. Trumpkin shot down one, but she didn't move fast enough to stop the second from knocking him head first out that opening. The Mice leaped after the Dwarf as she cut the soldier down, and then she ran out the door, diving over a railing into the courtyard when she found herself confronted by a wall of soldiers. She never heard the soldiers enter after her and start hacking at the gate chain. Thankfully, she landed on her feet, and she raced to where Trumpkin lay, unmoving. A Centaur reared over her, cutting down two soldiers, and then he took the Dwarf from her.

"Guard the King!" he yelled at her, and she recognized Nightstorm.

"Go!" She cried, preparing to draw her sword as she heard a yell of, "Ed!" Her friend galloped away as she looked up to see a Telmarine archer land almost on top of her. She picked up his bow and his quiver, then turned and shot one of the archers above her on the opposite walkway. The ones above her were gone, if their footsteps were any indication, so she focused on the archers she could see. She moved along the side of the courtyard, keeping to her shadows, and then she fired again, stopping another shot from killing her High King. She whipped in and out from behind a staircase, taking aim and firing so rapidly they never got the chance to shoot. She reloaded when she ducked behind the staircase, and then she looked for Miraz. Her bolt glanced off the stone by his hand when a faun fell on top of her from above.

She screamed as the impact caused the quiver hastily clipped to her belt to drive the backs of the bolts deep into her side, through the leather vest she wore. Shoving him off her, she pulled the bolts from her side and threw them, with perfect aim, at soldiers; just at Queen Susan had done with a few arrows. She used the useless bow as a different kind of weapon when she ripped the two limbs off and flung them into the back of one of the soldiers attacking her High King. He was standing on the stairs, trying to get to Miraz. They both turned at the bellow of pain and saw a Minotaur holding up the gate.

The High King looked around wildly, and she cut down a soldier with the remains of the bow she held. Then Peter's wild eyes met hers, and she screamed, "Get out!" She knew that if he gave in to his emotions and he kept fighting, they would all die.

"Fall back!" he shouted. "We need to retreat!" he ordered those closest, killing a soldier and leaping from the stairs to kill another. "Go! Get her out of here!" he shouted to Glenstorm, using his sword to point to Susan. The Centaur reached out and swung the Queen up onto his broad back, galloping towards the gate.

"Peter! Go!" Evelyn screamed, instantly knowing that he would stay and die if he looked for Edmund.

"Caspian?" Susan shouted back to Peter, turning on Glenstorm's back.

"I'll find him!" Peter yelled. "Go! Get out!" he ordered a Faun, grabbing him away from a kneeling soldier. "Get out! Retreat!" he yelled, and Evelyn chased after him, knowing he would die if he left her sight. He ran to the well, looking for Caspian on the walkways and balconies. He fought off soldiers with her at his back, and then a set of double doors burst open. Caspian appeared, riding a black stallion and leading a saddled and riderless brown horse. Evelyn recognized Doctor Cornelius on the dark mare beside him, and then she ducked under another soldier's strike and stabbed him with his own dagger.

Caspian stopped for a heartbeat and looked up at his uncle, standing on a balcony above the courtyard. Then he looked over the empty saddle at Peter, and started forward again. "Fall back! Get out!" Peter yelled, running for the horses. "Retreat!" he yelled one last time, grabbing the saddle of the horse.

Evelyn ran after him as she heard Miraz yell, "Now!" A crossbow bolt embedded itself in the Minotaur's chest, but he remained on his feet, holding the gate still. Peter used a foolish soldier to vault onto the running horse, and then he held his hand out behind him. She grabbed it, and leaped up behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist.

Out of the corner of her eye, Evelyn saw Domino fall, a bolt in his back, and she screamed out, "Retreat!" in one last attempt. The minotaur gave one mighty heave as bolts peppered him, and she and Peter ducked under the heavy gate. They heard him fall behind them, and Peter stopped the horse to look back. The Narnians trapped yelled for help, and Evelyn couldn't stop the gasp when she saw Nightstorm's younger brother, Whipstorm, trapped. Peter turned and met Glenstorm's eyes, seeing Susan's heartbroken expression. The mighty Centaur bowed his head, and Peter looked back again. Whipstorm nodded and bravely turned to face the Telmarines, bolts zipping passed the whole time.

"Peter, the bridge!" Caspian shouted, and with a sob only Evelyn heard, he spurred his horse towards the rising drawbridge. The horse leaped the widening gap, and Evelyn pressed her face into her High King's back as they galloped down the long bridge. She only looked up when a Gryphon flew over, Edmund on its back.

She felt Moon twining around her neck as a spasm seized her side. She wrapped her other arm, the one not holding Peter, around her side, and felt the warm stickiness of steadily pulsing blood.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Evelyn slid down from the saddle when they reached the safety of the woods. Peter followed her down, and then a wounded faun was lifted into the saddle. She fell behind as another Faun took the reins and led the horse on. Peter took to the front, Caspian and Susan behind him. Edmund walked with Glenstorm, and she limped on, holding her side. She'd gone numb again, and she couldn't tell how bad the wound was.

She heard the horn sound as she straggled from the woods, and even it sounded forlorn. But when she finally reached the ruined arena, she heard Lucy's pained question of, "What happened?"

"Ask him," Peter said bitterly, and she stiffened at his tone, ignoring the pain that it sent through her. How had she not sensed his need to talk?

"Peter," Susan protested her brother's accusing look, stopping on the stone walkway.

"Me?" Caspian demanded. "You could have called it off. There was still time," he said angrily.

Peter turned back to the Prince and said, "No there wasn't, thanks to you. If you'd kept to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now."

"And if you'd just stayed here like I suggested, they definitely would be," Caspian snarled.

"You called us, remember?" Peter snapped.

"My first mistake," Caspian retorted.

"No, your first mistake was thinking you'd lead these people," Peter told him, turning to walk into the How.

"Hey!" Caspian shouted, fury darkening his voice to a snarl. Peter turned back with a raised eyebrow, daring Caspian to take the tone with him again. "I am not the one who abandoned Narnia," he reminded Peter.

"You invaded Narnia!" Peter growled, pointing at the younger boy with a crooked finger, and Evelyn could sense the fury rolling off her High King. "You have no more right to be here than Miraz does," he yelled at Caspian as the Prince pushed passed him. Caspian pushed Peter away, and Evelyn limped forward to Edmund's side.

"Oh boy," Edmund whispered, and she nodded weakly.

"You, him, your father," Peter yelled at Caspian's back. "Narnia's better off without the lot of you."

"Oh, no," she groaned, knowing what Peter had just done as she saw Caspian go still at the mention of his father.

With a furious, wordless yell, Caspian drew his sword on Peter, whirling as he did. Instantly, Peter's sword was out and they held them level with each other. Evelyn moved away from Edmund as he drew a breath, and she stumbled as another spasm seized her side.

"Stop it!" Edmund roared, helping Glenstorm lower an unconscious Trumpkin to the ground. Peter and Caspian turned to Edmund, lowering the tips of their swords to the ground. With a gasp, Lucy ran forward, through the lowered swords, pulling her vial free as she moved. She knelt next to the Dwarf, Susan coming to her knees beside his head.

The last thing Evelyn saw was Peter's back as he watched Nikabrik follow Caspian into the How. "Ed," she groaned, and then she had to wrap an already blood soaked arm over her waist as she fell to her knees beside the King.

"Evelyn!" he cried, seeing her fall from the corner of his eye.

Peter had moved to see if the Dwarf woke from Lucy's healing, and then he turned to walk into the How with Lucy and Susan. He heard his brother cry out, and he whipped around to see his Guardian fall. She bent herself in half, her forehead touching her knees as her arms covered a spreading bloodstain on her side. Panic gripped him, and he forgot all about Caspian. "No!" he cried, and he bolted away from his sisters. He dropped to his knees before the golden haired girl, and he gently placed his hands over the wound.

Instantly, his hands were covered in blood, and she looked up at him. Her skin was pale and her lips were white. But the thing that made him realize just how long he hadn't been paying attention was that the gold was fading from her eyes. The blue hadn't returned, but the color itself was fading. Then her eyes closed and she fell forward, her head in his lap. "No, no, no! Evelyn, stay with me, please. Come on, Evelyn, listen to me, and look at me. You can't leave me, I need you here. I've always needed you here, and I'm so sorry. Please, Evelyn, I need you to tell me what to do," he spoke without thinking about who was around him. All he cared about was keeping her alive. Then a memory struck him. "Defy it, Evelyn, you have to defy it," he told her, and she turned her head to look at him sideways.

"I can't," she hissed through clenches teeth, and she pressed her hands down over his with a gasp.

"Edmund, move!" Lucy ordered above them, and suddenly the King was replaced by the Queen. Lucy let a single drop fall between Evelyn's white lips. The pale lids flicked down over the fading eyes, and they stayed down. Peter leaned over until his forehead rested against her shoulder, and he felt her still against him. Then she drew a shuddering breath and he sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank Aslan," he breathed, and then he pulled her into his arms. Lucy and Edmund let out breaths they'd been holding as Susan murmured a thank you of her own.

"Peter?" Evelyn shifted as she spoke, and he stood, pulling her with him. She leaned against him as he walked into the How, and when he looked down, he saw that both of them were stained by her blood. His hands and lower sleeves had been darkened, and her jerkin and shirt were ruined completely.

"Come on, let's get you a new set of clothes," he told her softly, and she laughed humorlessly. He kept his arm around her waist and she let him support her. He ignored the looks the troops were giving him as he led her through the forge caverns to the chamber he'd been using as sleeping quarters. Setting her on the cot, he took out the pale blue long sleeve shirt he'd worn from Cair Paravel and handed it over. She undid the side fastenings with a wince and he pulled the vest from her shoulders with gentle hands. Then he helped her pull her dark shirt over her head and he was grateful for the darkness. He guessed the scars were still there, and it would break him to see them now.

She managed to get the shirt over her head and he pulled it down around her ribs for her. Then he wrapped his arms around her from behind and buried his face in her shoulder. "Why didn't I listen to you?" he mumbled into the shirt.

"I never could make you," she said, and she wrapped her arms over his, taking his hands.

"You have every right to say I told you so," he murmured, and she squeezed his hands in her own.

"No, Peter. That's not what you need. And I never said that to you before, I won't start now," she replied.

And he loved her more than he ever had then. "I love you, Evelyn. And I'm so sorry all this had to happen because I was too pig-headed to listen," he whispered.

"I know you're sorry. But now it's too late to change anything and we have to do the best we can to survive when the Telmarines come. And I love you enough to tell you that I'll stand with you when they do," she told him quietly.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Peter and Evelyn stood together for a moment, and then she helped him wash his hands of the dried blood on his hands. He had pulled her back into his arms when they felt the draft of cold air. Evelyn stiffened as the scars on her back burned, and she stepped from Peter's embrace. Peter felt the burn too, in the same place where the White Witch's sword had pierced his arm. He no longer had the scar, but he felt it just the same.

"That feels like Deep Magic," he said softly, though he was stunned.

"It feels like the Witch," she told him, turning so he could see her face.

In the light of the torch behind him, Peter could see that there was something different about her face. "Your eyes," he realized. The odd coloring was the blue returning. It could only mean She had returned.

"Caspian," she gasped, and they bolted from the chamber.

They were running down the corridor, Evelyn leading Peter, when they heard voices from a side tunnel. "Ed! Lucy! Come this way!" Evelyn yelled, and then the younger two were running with them, Trumpkin following.

When they rounded the corner into Aslan's cavern, Peter and Evelyn saw the glowing wand and Caspian before it. "Stop!" Peter yelled, drawing his sword and charging into the cavern. Edmund and Trumpkin charged after him, swords drawn, but Evelyn held Lucy at the tunnel.

The werewolf bounded onto the Table and over Edmund's head as Nikabrik charged Trumpkin. Peter struck out at the Hag, but it had been too long since he'd fought one. Evelyn raced towards her High King as the Hag slammed his arm against the Table, knocking his sword from his grasp. She heard the beast let out a howl as the King wounded it, but she kept her focus on the Hag. She slashed at the Hag long enough to drive the creature away so Peter could kick it away from where he'd been knocked to the ground.

Evelyn whirled when she heard Lucy cry out, and she saw the Queen thrown against one of the pillars by Nikabrik. But she didn't run to help when she saw Trumpkin pick up his sword. Instead, she stabbed at the Hag as Peter pushed himself up and grabbed his sword. He slammed Caspian from the circle, freeing the Prince from the Witch's spell as the werewolf let out a snarl and then a whimper. "Get away from him!" Peter snarled at the Witch, not realizing that the bleeding wound over his eye made him easy prey for the Witch.

"No!" Evelyn cried, but her voice was drowned out by the Witch's calm, "Peter, dear, I've missed you. Come, just one drop, you know you can't do this alone."

Evelyn saw the hold the Witch had as She started to speak, and when she looked for Edmund, she saw that he too understood. Together, they crept around the back of the ice wall and raised their swords above their heads. They used their arms as a shield and Edmund murmured, "One."

"Two," Evelyn replied in a whisper, shielding her face.

"Three," they said together, and drove their swords into Witch, through the ice. The Witch choked for a breath, and then the ice shattered forward. They stood for a moment until the ice stopped falling, and then they turned to Peter and Caspian, lowering their swords.

"I know. You had it sorted," Edmund told Peter, and Evelyn heard the fury in his voice. But she knew it wasn't aimed at his brother but at the three who had summoned Her. He walked away as Evelyn sheathed her sword, and she saw Peter and Caspian turn to look behind them.

Susan stood on the other side of the Table, and she glanced quickly at Lucy to check on her sister. Then she turned betrayed and hurt eyes on Caspian, turned, and walked out. Evelyn saw Lynn standing by the tunnel entrance, and she nodded to the younger girl. The child followed Queen Susan as Evelyn turned back to Peter and Caspian in time to see them share a long look.

She found Caspian sitting up on the lowest outcropping outside the How a little while later. "Caspian?" she said softly, stepping out of the doorway.

"Evelyn," he greeted her quietly, and she took it as an invitation to sit.

She stayed quiet for a long moment, gazing out over the field, and then she asked, "Do you know my story?"

Caspian looked at her carefully, and he sighed. "I know you were the Princess. I know you were the High King's wife. I know you were a warrior. And I know you didn't leave like they did," he told her.

"I am surprised. Your father or even Miraz could have told you more," she replied.

"My father? He knew your story?" he asked hopefully.

"Some of it. He knew that I was here, only because he came face to face with me several times. Your father was a good man, Caspian. He was a good King, the first Narnia had in a long time. He was a King, not a tyrant. He made the effort to learn the history of the land he ruled, not just of his own people. He learned of me, and he searched for me throughout his years as Crown Prince. He found me, and the first thing he did was drop to his knees and say, 'Lady of the Shadows, I am not worthy of your mercy.' He was the first I had met in a long time that was worthy of my mercy, and I told him such. You see, no Telmarine King has ever survived meeting me. But he came to me as the Prince, and he asked me to forgive him for not finding me sooner so that he could have learned when he would have believed the stories as a child. I taught a few to him, and he became a good King because of it. He was the first to have the respect of his people, not the fear," she told him.

"And Miraz killed him because of it," Caspian sighed.

"Miraz never could understand why his brother, his hero, became so different as he grew older. Miraz killed your father out of misguided betrayal. But you see that is what makes you who you are. Your father taught you without telling you my stories, and you learned the same things he did. And now, you are surrounded by those stories. And now you know they are more than stories. The Witch is very much real, just as Aslan is. Do NOT feel guilty that you fell to her spell," she said.

"How can I not? The High King had to physically free me," he replied.

"Do you think that the five of us are without failings? Do you not know that Edmund's first trip into Narnia left him the White Witch's property? Do you truly not know that my first step into Narnia left me entrapped by the Silver Witch for a year and a half?" she asked incredulously.

"I know Edmund's story. My Professor told me. But who is the Silver Witch?" he asked.

"The Silver Witch was the White Witch's daughter. Be very careful of what tense you use, Caspian. The White Witch cannot be killed, only sent away and held away. She lives, locked in her prison. But her daughter was only half immortal. She did not age, but she died by the High King's sword. Do you know how she ruled the Wild Lands when her mother ruled Narnia?" she cautioned.

"I thought the White Witch ruled both; that's how she got the Fell Creatures in her army," he said, turning to look at her again.

"No. Jadis, the White Witch, ruled Narnia. Nixis, her daughter, ruled the Wild Lands. And they had a terrible plan. You see, there was a prophecy, a prophecy that foretold of Jadis's end by Aslan. It also told of the four siblings who would take the thrones at Cair Paravel as the rightful rulers. But that prophecy also told of a fifth human, a girl whose place in Cair Paravel would mean the end of Nixis. Jadis and Nixis devised a plan to foil the prophecy. I assume you know how it worked for Jadis, since you know Edmund's story. But Nixis nearly succeeded in destroying the Kings and Queens after all. She entrapped me, knowing that Peter needed me at his side. She made me the heir of the Wild Land crown, and taught me to wield the Deep Magic that controlled the Winter. She intended for me to be Queen when Peter discovered the endless Winter, and he would find that I was the source of the Winter. He would destroy me, and he would destroy himself in the process by killing the one who could help him. Then She would rise from her lair and sweep down over both the Wild Lands and Narnia, and she would find him weak and easy to kill. It nearly worked. Peter made me Queen by killing Nixis," she remembered, and she could feel her scars ache on her back as she spoke.

"What happened?" he asked.

"She didn't factor in Aslan. You see, a year and a half after the four took the throne and I was held by the Witch, I was being destroyed from the inside. Aslan took my memory to save me, and I escaped the Witch. I found my way to Cair Paravel, and within five days, Peter and I fell in love. We were always meant to fall in love, and that broke the Witch's hold. We took the war to them, and I was captured again. Peter killed the Witch in battle after she dressed me as the Queen, and Nixis never knew what had happened to me. When Peter reached me, the Prince, now the King, Jado, Nixis's son, challenged him. Jado called me out as the Queen, and I had to face Peter. But Jado never realized that I loved Peter, not him. I killed Jado after I announced my allegiance. And I renounced my claim on the Wild Land Crown, and I offered the southern half of the Wild Lands as a territory to Narnia, since the Plains were much like Narnia. The Northern Mountains became the Wild Lands, and a week later, Aslan made me the Princess of the Territory. But the scars from the Witch never faded. I have them still. And now you have one too. Both of the Kings have scars from the White Witch," she went on.

"They do?" he asked, shocked.

"Yes. Do not think you are weak because She got to you. Peter was your age when he fought her. I was your age when Her daughter entrapped me," she told him, standing. "No one is perfect, Caspian. But if you love the people you rule, like your father did, you will be a good King. And if you love the land you watch over, like the Kings and Queens do, you will be a Narnian King." With that, she walked away, slipping passed Doctor Cornelius as she entered the tunnel.

"Why did you never tell about my father?" she heard Caspian ask, and she smiled. She knew the Professor's answer already. She had helped Cornelius learn the stories. She had taught them to him.

She made her way back into the tunnels and followed her sense to Aslan's cavern. She found Peter sitting on the steps of the Table, gazing at Aslan. She went to him, stepping quietly and slowly. She stood beside him and touched his shoulder, and his hand came up over hers. Then he turned his head and brushed his lips over her wrist. She moved around him to sit on the step beside him, and his hand slid up her arm to cup her jaw. She leaned her forehead against his, and he used his other hand to push an unruly strand of hair out of her face. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and she could feel his guilt again.

"No, Peter. It's not your fault. Just like it was never Edmund's fault that She caught him," she murmured.

"And it was never your fault either, milady," he reminded her, and her heart fluttered at the use of her old pet-name.

"Then you can't allow yourself to feel guilty either, Your Golden Majesty," she was both serious and teasing as she spoke, and he smiled.

"How could I? You won't let me," he replied.

"Not right now I won't," she assured him. "Aslan needs us both to be strong, for Caspian's sake, and for Narnia's sake," she added.

"I know, Ev, I know he does," he whispered, and then he closed the distance between their lips slowly. He kissed her gently, and when her hand slid from his shoulder into his hair, he relaxed. She deepened the kiss, and he pulled her closer.

When they pulled apart, they were both panting slightly, but neither of them cared. Their foreheads touched again, and she leaned into his arms. "I should check on Edmund," she sighed, and he nodded, drawing his forehead away only far enough so he could place a kiss there instead.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she replied, and she slipped away, passing Lucy in the tunnels.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Are you okay, brother?" Evelyn asked, stepping out onto the arena.

"I will be, sister," he replied, turning to face her. "Will you?" he asked, trailing off his question.

In reply, she drew her sword, and a playful grin flashed across her face. A similar look was mirrored on Edmund's face as he drew his own sword and lunged towards her. Their swords met with a ringing clang, and they laughed. They went after each other again and again, throwing taunts the entire time.

They ended with their swords at each other's throat, and then an odd sound drew their attention to the far edge of the field. Instantly, they identified the sound, and they sheathed their swords without a word. Then they turned and ran into the How. "Get Peter and Lucy! They're in Aslan's cavern!" Evelyn yelled as she split off from Edmund, and she skidded into another tunnel. "Caspian!" She yelled, her boots thudding quietly as she ran. "Caspian!" She yelled again, and then he was there, Queen Susan beside him.

"Evelyn?" Caspian asked.

"They're here! They're assembling as we speak!" she cried.

"Oh, Aslan," Susan gasped, and the three of them ran, disregarding looks from the troops. Evelyn brought them out to the same stone balcony she'd spoken with Caspian on and Caspian and Susan came to abrupt stops. Edmund, Peter, and Lucy came running out a moment later, and she moved over so Peter and Edmund could stand beside Caspian. She exchanged a glance with Edmund as Caspian and Peter looked at each other. She sensed, and she knew Edmund did too, that Peter and Caspian had decided to listen to her and lead together.

She watched with a racing heart as catapults were rolled out between each legion of foot soldiers, and she saw the massive crossbow. "Damn," she cursed softly, and Edmund raised an eyebrow at her. "That massive bow is to take out the Gryphons. I used them one too many times in the past apparently.

Then the cavalry streamed in neat lines from the middle of the army, splitting into impressive ranks in front of the infantry. The Lords made a neat wedge in front of their men, leaving the point for the last horse approaching. The white horse stood out at the head, and the rider in gold armor could only be one man. "He's been crowned King," Caspian and Evelyn realized together.

Evelyn felt a sharp mix of anger, pain, and determination sweep over her, but she knew the feelings weren't her own. She moved from beside Glenstorm and went to stand at Peter's shoulder. She placed her hand on his shoulder blade, and he was transported back to the confrontation with Jado. They'd survived and won then, and she was telling him she intended to do the same now. Then she took one of Peter's arms and one of Caspian's arms from behind. "Let's go. I do not intend to let them walk all over us," she told them, and she led them into the tunnels. Edmund and Trumpkin followed, Lucy and Susan close behind. Others hurried after them, and she led them to a smaller chamber with a rough, round stone slab for a table.

"What are we supposed to do? They've got at least four times the number of soldiers that we do," Trumpkin said.

"Lucy, have you had the dream?" she asked once everyone had situated themselves. She sat on the edge of the table beside Peter, and she placed her hand over his as he braced himself against the slab.

"He calls. We need to go to Him," the Queen told her, and she nodded.

Peter caught on at the mention of the dream, and he sighed. "I don't like this," he told his little sister.

"I know you don't, and I don't either, but this is what needs to be done," she replied, and he saw the Valiant Queen just as she saw the Magnificent High King.

"You don't like what?" Trumpkin asked.

"Lucy is going to find Aslan," Evelyn spoke up when Peter and Lucy went quiet.

"Tikes and Kettlejumps. That's your next big plan? Sending a little girl into the darkest parts of the forest, alone?" the Dwarf demanded, furious in a rather protective way. Lucy was rather insulted at being called a little girl, but she said nothing as Trumpkin pointed at her.

"It's our only chance," Peter told the Dwarf.

"And she won't be alone," Susan added.

Trumpkin moved to stand in front of the girl he'd come to be fond of, and implored her not to go. His eyes were pained, and he said, "Haven't…haven't enough of us died already?" he asked.

"Nikabrik was my friend too, but he lost hope. Queen Lucy hasn't. And neither have I," Trufflehunter told his friend sadly. The Badger stood beside a sitting Edmund, and Evelyn had to lean back onto the table to see him.

Reepicheep drew his sword and placed his fisted grip over his heart as they all turned to look at him. "For Aslan," he pledged.

"For Aslan," the Bear agreed in his deep, sleepy voice, and everyone looked to him as well. Then Evelyn looked up at Peter and squeezed his hand slightly as they turned back to Trumpkin. Lucy looked at Peter, and she could see the trust and support in his eyes. He believed she could find Him.

"Then I'm going with you," Trumpkin told Lucy.

"No, we need you here," the Queen replied, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"We have to hold them off until Lucy and Susan get back," Peter insisted.

"If I may," Caspian started, drawing the High King's attention to where he and the Professor sat on stone stairs. Caspian looked quickly at Doctor Cornelius, and then looked back to the High King, standing as he started to speak. He walked forward, and Peter could see the pain in his eyes. "Miraz may be a tyrant and a murderer, but as King, he is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people. There is one in particular that may buy us some time," he told Peter, and Evelyn's heart sank.

"No. Caspian, if it went wrong, it would all be for nothing," she said, understanding instantly. She had created this tradition. She had been the reason it became a tradition in the Telmarines' history.

"Have faith, Your Highness, like the Kings and Queens," Caspian urged her, realizing she knew what he spoke of.

"I have faith, Caspian, in Aslan. What I cannot have faith in is what you ask of one of us. And no, it will not be you. You cannot offer this challenge," she replied.

"What challenge? Tell us, Caspian," Peter ordered.

"The challenge is a duel," the Prince told him, and Peter understood.

"A duel?" Lucy gasped.

"To the death, I assume," Peter said to Caspian, and he nodded.

"Miraz is compulsive, and he will be unable to resist the pressure from the Lords to prove himself. He will refuse to embarrass himself in front of them," Caspian explained.

"It is a good idea," Peter sighed.

"And our only idea," Edmund reminded his brother.

"It's also risking your life," Susan told Peter, who just sighed.

"As much as I hate to let you do this, I can vouch for this tradition, seeing as I am the reason it is such. I turned back four Telmarine invasions by winning duels. Caspian the Conqueror was named that because he was smart enough to refuse the challenge and he waged a war on us that we could not win. That was a hundred years after you were called out of Narnia. There have been thirty seven, now thirty eight, Telmarine Kings of Narnia. You will be the Tenth of your name, Caspian. And hopefully, with Aslan's blessing, you will be the first to die of old age," Evelyn spoke up. She spoke much more calmly than she felt.

"Thirty seven Kings have been killed?" Lucy asked, shocked.

"I'm afraid I do not have much patience for arrogant, idiotic, drunken, power-hungry, or blood-thirsty Kings, Your Majesty," Evelyn apologized without remorse, and Peter laughed quietly.

"But only thirty six of them died at your hand, Evelyn," Caspian said softly.

She turned to him and nodded sadly. "That is true. The one King I would have liked to stay on the throne was killed by his brother, Miraz. I would like you to return the favor, if you could, Peter, and put our Prince on the throne," the golden eyed girl said, standing. They all saw the hatred and sorrow at war in her eyes, and they were burning with the fire once more.

"Then let's go," Susan said, and Lucy nodded. The Queens received wishes of luck from the gathered Creatures and Animals, and then those soldiers left. Trumpkin followed the Professor out, looking back over his shoulder at Lucy as he went.

Caspian and Evelyn hung back as Edmund and Lucy embraced and Peter wrapped his arms around Susan. Then they switched, and Caspian noticed that these hugs were longer. He was seeing the bonds right in front him, though he suspected that the bond between the brothers was greater than even the bond between Lucy and Peter.

Evelyn felt a familiar sense come over her when she watched each King bestow a kiss upon each of their sisters' brows. And her sense grew even stronger when the Queens returned the blessing in turn. She could also feel Caspian's confusion and promised silently to explain it to him as a Narnian tradition.

Then Susan left Edmund's arms and took Evelyn's hands in her own. Caspian saw the protective bond that the two had, and he wondered what had forged it. Then the two girls embraced and he heard Evelyn whisper, "Believe in the bow."

He also heard Susan's reply of, "Watch their backs," and then the Gentle's embrace was replaced by Lucy's tighter hold.

"Remember what Orieus taught us, Lionheart" Evelyn warned Lucy, tapping the Queen's dagger when the girl released her.

"And you remember what he taught you, Kingsshield," Lucy replied, nodding.

"Caspian, can you get them a horse? Edmund and I need to write the challenge," Peter said, and the Prince nodded. Then he and the Queens were gone, swallowed by the darkness of the tunnels.

**Author's note: Kingsshield and Lionheart are the names Evelyn and Lucy went by as Knights of their Orders, the Lion and the Dagger. Evelyn was of Peter's Order. Only Susan was never named a Knight, but instead referred to as the Lady of her Order of the Arrow.**


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Evelyn placed a supportive hand on the High King's shoulder when he leaned forward against the table and bowed his head. The King touched his brother's other shoulder, moving closer and meeting Evelyn's eyes. She stood, keeping her hand on the High King as he collected himself.

"Milady, would you be so gracious as to go and inform the Centaur Glenstorm and the Good Giant that I wish for them to accompany my brother the Just King as he offers the challenge of combat to the King Miraz?" the High King asked, and she smiled at his formality.

"Of course, Your Majesty," the Princess told him, bowing slightly. "By your leave, Your Majesties," she added, stepping away.

"Could you also ask the Professor to join me so that he could ask as our scribe?" the High King added.

"As you wish, my liege," she assured him, and then she slipped into the tunnels. She went first to the chamber she had been sharing with Lynn, and woke the dozing girl. Then she dug through her pack for the scroll she'd tucked inside, and she lifted Moon back to her shoulder. A black panther followed Lynn as the child hurried along at Evelyn's side, and the Princess led them into the cavern where the Professor was resting.

"Your Highness?" the Professor greeted her, lifting himself from his rough chair.

"The High King wishes for you to join him to inscribe the challenge to the King Miraz," she told him, passing over the scroll.

"Of course, Your Highness," he replied, bowing carefully. He could sense that he was dealing with the Princess of Old and the Lady of the Shadows, not the sixteen year old girl he saw before him.

She nodded and vanished back into the darkness of the tunnels, perfectly at home in the shadows. Lynn followed her, taking care not to trip on the hem of her dress as she hurried after the older girl. She waited at the entrance to the tunnel as the golden haired one moved through the groups of soldiers and forges in the cavern.

When she reached Glenstorm, she said, "I have been told to inform you that the High King wishes for you to accompany his brother the Just King to offer the challenge to King Miraz."

He set down his honing stone and bowed to her. "As the High King wishes," he told her. "I will find green branches to offer peaceful warning," he added, and she nodded.

"I shall have the King meet you there," the Princess replied, gesturing to the entrance of the How.

"Your Highness," the Centaur excused himself. She nodded and he walked off, his hooves echoing against the stone.

The Princess tracked down the Giant next. "Hello, Highness," he greeted her when she found him in the woods behind the How.

"Good sir," she replied. "The High King has asked me to tell you that he would like you to accompany Glenstorm and King Edmund to offer the challenge to King Miraz," she told him.

"Highness, I would be honored to accompany the King," he told her.

"Thank you. Just please remember not to smash any Telmarines unless Glenstorm tells you that you can," she said.

"Of course, Highness," he assured her, and she was glad that he was far smarter than any of the Giants had been during the Golden Age. He had to be, to survive the reign of the Telmarines.

When she returned to the High King, Evelyn waited by the wall as she listened to the Kings write the challenge. "Read it over for us, Professor?" the High King requested.

"I, Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands, in order to prevent the abominable effusion of blood, hereby do challenge the usurp Miraz to single combat upon the field of battle," Doctor Cornelius complied.

"The terms, Your Majesty?" he asked.

"The fight shall be to the death; the reward shall be total surrender," Evelyn spoke up. The High King turned to her, and he saw the pain and sadness in her eyes. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want him to do this. "Peter, let me fight this," she implored him.

"No, Evelyn. This is one of the things you can't do for me," he told her gently.

"I could if you would let me," she replied, lowering her head.

"I don't want this taken lightly, Evelyn. The Telmarines would never take it seriously if their King fought anyone other than a King. And they would laugh if their King fought a girl, no matter how capable she may be," he told her, lifting her chin so he could see her face. "I know you could do this, but I need to be the one," he added, and she didn't argue.

"At least let me carry your shield then," she whispered. He kissed her forehead and she saw the agreement in his eyes.

"Professor, did you get the last sentence?" he asked, turning to face the elderly man.

"To fight shall be to the death; the reward shall be total surrender," the Professor read back.

"Thank you, Doctor Cornelius," the High King replied, and the Professor placed the scroll on the table as he left. "Ed, let's get you suited up," he said, turning to his dark haired brother.

"This should help," Caspian's voice came from behind them, and they turned to see the Prince holding the pack containing Edmund's armor.

Evelyn took it from him, and he nodded to the Kings. Then he left them again. Evelyn laid out the armor on the stone slab as Peter helped Edmund remove the leather gear he still wore. Then the two older teens helped the King into his armor, piece by piece. He didn't have any of the metal leg pieces that Peter did, and she knew it was by choice. Edmund had always been a bit more unpredictable and the heavy armor restricted his abilities to pull spontaneous tricks to gain the upper hand. Evelyn helped him buckle on his sword, and she tugged his tabard straight under it.

"Do you have your signet?" the High King asked when they were done. The Just King, once known as the Protector, picked up his ring from the table and slid it onto the ring finger of his right hand. Then Peter pulled his younger brother into a rough hug, pulling Edmund's head down onto his shoulder. Edmund wrapped his arms around Peter, and Evelyn smiled sadly. She heard Peter whisper, "Come back safely," and she knew exactly what he was remembering. She remembered the time when Edmund had been captured by rogues on a diplomatic trip to the Western Black Dwarf clans, and Peter had nearly lost control when the news had reached the Cair.

"I will, Pete," Edmund promised.

Then it was Evelyn's turn to hug the King. She had to reach up to wrap her arms around his shoulders, and he chuckled quietly. "I've told the Giant not to smash anything unless Glenstorm orders him," she told him. "And you need to meet Glenstorm at the entrance of the How," she added.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Remember who you are, my King. They will see only a boy. Show them the Just King, the one known as the Protector and the Shield of Narnia," she advised him.

"Show them the Guardian they've had under their noses the whole time," he retorted, and then he was taking the scroll. Evelyn and Peter fell in on either side as they walked to the main caverns, and Lynn and the panther followed. Lynn was carrying Edmund's leather vest and bracers, and she waited again at the tunnel as the King walked up the ramp and into the sun.

Peter and Evelyn stood shoulder to shoulder as Edmund took a green oak branch from Glenstorm. Then the party of three started down the walkway, passing through the ruined arena as they went. Evelyn glanced up to the balcony and she saw Caspian and the Professor watching from above them. The Prince was back in his dark green-black jerkin and sword, and Evelyn disliked it instantly. It looked too Telmarine for him. He was fast becoming Narnian, and the dark color scheme looked wrong on him.

"Who built that arena?" Peter asked her quietly. They were surrounded on either side by their troops, and they all had keen ears.

"I had the Dwarves build it for me. I needed some kind of place to hold the challenges, and I didn't want it close to the Cair. Unfortunately, Caspian the Conqueror discovered the Cair's location anyway, and he destroyed her," she replied softly, and he heard the old bitterness and guilt in her voice.

"Did you save anything?" he asked.

"Only what I'd managed to move to Goldlight before the invasion. I did save your collection of Royal Books," she told him.

"All five?" he asked, surprised.

"I hid them all in Goldlight," she admitted ruefully. "The Books of Poetry, Music, Heritage, Law, and History are all safe. I want to retrieve them if we survive this so Caspian can use them to restore Narnia," she went on.

"They can be his coronation gifts from us," he promised her, and she took his hand.

"I'll give him my dagger too. The King of Narnia needs Narnian weapons," she told him with a smile. He smiled at her, and then they went back into the How. They found Lynn wearing Edmund's leather armor, though it was a bit big.

Evelyn laughed, and when Lynn blushed guiltily, Peter said, "No, leave it on. Even you need something more than just a dagger for protection."

"Lynn, do you remember what I told you to do if something goes wrong?" Evelyn asked suddenly.

"I'm supposed to take the little black mare from the string of pack horses and a pack of provisions and escape through the back tunnels," the child replied, pulling her cloak closer around herself. Evelyn nodded, and Peter glanced at her.

"We need to make a plan in case the Telmarines don't keep their word," he told her, and she nodded.

"And we need to suit up ourselves," she replied, taking Lynn's hand in her free one.


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's note: the following scene between Caspian and Peter can be found on Youtube. Search Narnia 2. Deleted scenes picking marshals. The scene goes until (1). Obviously, Evelyn's lines are added in.**

Chapter 17

Evelyn left Lynn napping again, and she realized the child had spent the night of the raid wide awake and worrying when she should have been recovering from the journey and her torture. Glancing back at the sleeping girl, she smiled to see Moon curled around the small shoulders and the panther curled under the cot.

Then she hurried through the torch lit tunnels with her pack of armor in hand. She reached the chamber before Caspian and Peter, and laid out her armor on her own. Trumpkin was laying out Peter's armor, and she heard the two boys coming as she unbuckled her sword belt.

"This is not what I meant; this is my fight," Caspian told Peter in a low voice.

"I've already tried that. Look, if there's ever going to be peace with the Telmarines, you have to be the one who brings it," Peter replied, and she heard them coming closer and closer to the open doorway.

"How can I if you won't let me?" Caspian asked as they walked.

"Not like this. If I don't make it, well, Narnia's future's in your hands," Peter said, turning to look at Caspian as he stopped in the doorway. Evelyn and Trumpkin exchanged looks, and she glanced at the Bear and Reepicheep.

"And what about your own future?" Caspian protested softly. It was strange; he seemed to have more respect for Peter as he questioned the High King than he had earlier.

"I was thinking about a career in medicine," Peter admitted, turning to look at his laid out armor. He walked forward and took his helm from Trumpkin.

"Your Highness," the Bear started uncertainly.

"Yes?" Peter asked, looking up as he set down his helm.

"I'm a Bear, I am," the Bear went on, and it seemed like he didn't really know what to say.

"And a fine one, I'm sure," Peter replied.

"Begging your pardon, but tradition holds that you pick your marshals of the lists," the Bear told him, and Evelyn winced.

"Sorry," she murmured. She had made that tradition as well.

"He's right," Caspian told the High King. "You need to choose your seconds," he added.

"Don't let him; he'll just fall asleep and suck his paws," Trumpkin said, knowing the Bear had brought it up because he wanted to be one of those seconds.

"Sire, my life is forever at your command, but I had thought perhaps I might be sent for this challenge," Reepicheep spoke up, and Trumpkin laughed incredulously.

"As you know, my good Reepicheep, many humans are afraid of mice. And it really wouldn't be fair for Miraz to have anything in sight that could further dilute his courage," Peter responded gently, and Evelyn hid a smile at the High King's words. She knew he had worded it that way to keep from offending the Mouse, and she knew he was really thinking the same thing he'd told her. Miraz would laugh in the Mouse's face. No, it was better for intimidating and noble beings be picked for the seconds.

"Of course. Your Majesty is the mirror of honor. That is exactly what I was thinking," Reepicheep said, covering his hope with proud words.

"Tell Glenstorm, I want him, Ed, and," the High King said.

"Please, Your Majesty," the Bear asked.

"It is your right," The High King assured him. "But you must remember not to suck your paws," he ordered, turning to pick up his shield.

"Oh! He's doing it right now!" Trumpkin exclaimed, and they turned to see the Bear jerk his paw from his mouth and clear his throat.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" the High King asked the Bear almost teasingly.

"Are you sure that you are?" Caspian asked him forlornly.(1)

"Are we sure that any of us are?" Evelyn asked softly, catching their attention. Peter reached across the low table and touched Evelyn's hand, drawing her attention. She had braced her hands on the table and let her head hang down. Her braid had come undone, and her hair hung in front of her face in a long curtain that touched the table. She looked up, and Peter smiled understandingly. He knew she was being affected by both her own feelings and what she could feel of his, and she was struggling to deal with it after so long without it.

Trumpkin and Caspian started to help Peter suit up as Evelyn pulled her hair back into a fresh, neat braid. She coiled it into a bun to prevent any of the soldiers from using a cheap shot and pulling it, and then she started to suit up. Over her shirt went a long-sleeved shirt of chain mail, followed by the red tabard with its gold Lion. The shoulder pieces required Caspian's help to get on over the neck piece of stiffened leather similar to Edmund's. Over her wrists went metal bracers that covered her entire forearms. Then she strapped on her sword and dagger and turned to Peter and Caspian.

She was surprised when Caspian allowed her to double check the buckles and tightness of his armor. She ended up examining the bracers curiously; they were not full bands but instead rounded plates that only covered the tops of his forearms. She helped him strap on his sword belt, which unlike a Narnian belt, was worn over the shoulder like Susan's quiver. The dagger belt went around the waist, and she knew it was because the Telmarines were such a numerous and soldier based nation. The military didn't focus on the skills of the individual, but instead taught them in masses to work as one whole unit. The traditional Narnian style focused on the skill of the person, since there were so few Narnian people before the Telmarines came.

When Evelyn turned to Peter, she found that he'd started without her. The High King already had his pants and shirt of chain mail over his normal shirt and pants, and she sighed. She helped him into his own tabard as Caspian helped him into his boots and greaves. Then she got his hood of mail over his head, and Caspian helped him pull on the bracers with their attached gloves. They each took a shoulder plate and strapped them on, hooking the tiny hooks at the top into his chain mail. Evelyn strapped his belt around his waist for him, taking his sheath and sword off before she did.

Then the High King looked to the others in the chamber. Caspian and Trumpkin understood immediately that he wanted a moment alone with Evelyn, and they dragged the Bear and Mouse out with them.

She went to him the instant she couldn't hear their footsteps. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she slid her arms over his shoulders. They held each other for a moment, and then she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead. "You don't trust the Telmarines enough to even hope they'll keep the terms of the duel when you win," she said softly.

"I can't take that chance, Ev. We have to have a plan so we aren't overwhelmed when they attack. I won't win this duel to just die fighting a treacherous battle," he told her.

"I won't ask you to do that," she assured him, and she kissed him softly on the lips.

"You still want to take my place, don't you?" he asked, kissing her again.

"Of course I do. I did every time then, too," she replied, kissing him between sentences.

"You know why I can't let you. And it's the same reason why I can't let you be a second," he told her between kisses.

"I know. And I know that if I don't stop kissing you, you're never going to be able to focus," she said.

He groaned and drew away, though he didn't let her go. But he did let her go when he saw something glinting on the table. "What's this?" he asked, moving to pick it up. She didn't reply as he picked up the gold chain with the three rings on it. A fourth and fifth ring sat on the table, and she put one back on. When he examined the rings more carefully, he realized what the three he held were. "Ev?" he breathed, turning to face her.

She nodded, and he closed his hand around the rings for a heartbeat. Their wedding bands and her bridal ring were warm through his glove, and when she looked up at him, he saw the tears in her eyes. "You kept them all this time," he realized.

"I had to. They were my reminder to never lose faith or hope. And they were my reminder that I'd see you again someday," she murmured, moving closer. She leaned her forehead against the side of his jaw as he pulled her into his side with one arm. "I'm going to give them to Lynn to wear during the battle. Hopefully, one of us will survive to take them back," she whispered.

"And you Guardian signet ring?" he asked.

"I'm wearing it. Lynn can take my Princess signet and if we don't survive, she can take it to Archenland. They'll know what happened. I've been keeping the Kings alert to my presence, and they always recognized my seal," she replied softly. "They'll keep her safe," she finished sadly.

"Peter? Evelyn? Are you in here?" Edmund's voice called down the tunnel, and they sighed.

"We're here, Ed," Peter called, but neither of them moved when he appeared in the doorway. Caspian and Glenstorm waited behind him with Trumpkin.

"I thought of part of a plan," Edmund told them, moving in to stand on the other side of the table. The other three gathered around the table as Peter slipped the necklace into Evelyn's hand. She picked up the ring lying on the table, and Edmund glanced at the pieces of leather armor scattered across the slab.

"Let us hear it, Sire," Glenstorm said, having a new respect for the younger King.

"Based on what I saw, when they attack the cavalry will charge first. If we can stop or slow the cavalry to give ourselves enough time to attack and reduce their numbers, we'd have a better chance of taking on the infantry. They both pose their own problems. The cavalry could run us over if we don't stop them, and the infantry will most likely overwhelm us with their numbers," Edmund started.

"How do you intend to slow them down?" Trumpkin asked.

"Do the tunnels go right under the field?" Edmund asked Evelyn.

"Oh yes. They go much further," she told him, and she turned in Peter's arm to face the dark haired King.

"Can we collapse them?" he asked.

"If we break the columns supporting them," she said, and she understood.

"How hard are they to break?" he asked.

"A centaur could break them if he were to swing his sword hard enough. A Minotaur can just smash them. And the Giant should have no trouble breaking them," she said thoughtfully.

"Gather the Minotaurs and strongest Centaurs. Then take half the army into the cavern off the forge hall," the King ordered Glenstorm. "When Caspian gives you the order to charge, wait until you are in the tunnel and then sound the horn. Caspian will count to ten in time with Peter and I, and Trumpkin will as well. On ten, smash the columns. The archers will handle it from there, and then you'll come up the ramps the Dwarves found. You'll be behind the cavalry, and we'll crush them from either side. The infantry will come after that. We can retreat to the How," he went on.

"Where will Trumpkin be?" Peter asked.

"I'll be leading the archers," the Dwarf spoke up.

"And me?" Evelyn asked.

"I have a few ideas for you. The Gryphons and the better Dwarf archers are prepared to launch an aerial attack, but the massive crossbows will be a problem. Granted, the Gryphons can fly to the sides, but I think they've got three, one between each column of legions. And the catapults are going to be tricky. They can do a lot of damage to the How. That's where I had an idea for you. We have extra Telmarine armor from Caspian's raid. You could disguise yourself and sneak around the back of the army through the woods and take a few of them out. Or you can lead the archers. Or you can go into the tunnel with Caspian," Edmund told her.

"I'll take out the catapults. I'm probably only going be able to sabotage one before I'm overwhelmed," she decided.

"No. That's a suicide mission," Peter protested.

"Peter," she looked up at him as his arm tightened around her waist.

"Either go with Caspian or go with Trumpkin. I am not asking anyone, not even you, to do that," the High King growled.

"I'll go with Caspian," she sighed.

"Go, Glenstorm. Trumpkin, get up there," Edmund ordered, and the four humans were left staring at the sword, helm, and shield on the table.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Evelyn picked up Peter's helm as Edmund pulled his brother's hood of mail up. She passed it over and Edmund slid it into place, buckling the chin strap for the High King. Then Evelyn picked up the shield, taking a strap in each hand as Edmund took the still sheathed sword. Caspian fell in behind the two of them as they walked at the High King's shoulders, and to every one of the Narnians still in the tunnels, they made an impressive image.

In the main cavern, they stopped at the base of the ramp. Lynn came running, her cloak billowing out behind her as she raced, panting, to Evelyn's side. "There are soldiers at the exit of the tunnels. I won't be able to get out!" she cried.

Instantly, the four teens exchanged looks, and they were angry and unsurprised. Then something occurred to all of them. "The girls," they realized.

"Go," the High King ordered Evelyn and Caspian. "Go after the girls. They'll need help if they've got soldiers after them," he instructed. Caspian nodded and he headed for the two horses being led into position for him and Evelyn. He swung into the bay's saddle, and he took the reins of the brown animal that Peter had escaped on.

Evelyn turned to the High King and turned the shield so he could slide his arm into the straps. She spun, aiming a neat roundhouse kick at his ribs, and the High King blocked it with his shield. It was their old way of testing that the straps were tight enough on his arm so that the shield didn't slide with a fast reaction. He nodded and she said, "Remember what Orieus taught us." Then she stretched up to kiss him fleetingly on the lips. Pivoting on one heel, she vaulted into the saddle of the brown horse and spurred the horse forward as Caspian flipped the reins into her hand. Evelyn scooped Lynn up behind her, and the girl wrapped her hands around her belt.

They cantered through the tunnels and near the exit, Evelyn and Caspian brought the horses to a stop, and Lynn jumped down. They were underneath the Telmarine command camp, behind the army. The Panther and Doctor Cornelius waited away from the exit, concealed from the soldiers by the rock. The Professor held Evelyn's bow, and he passed it over silently. She nodded her thanks, and then looked around. Concealed in one of the tunnels were two horses, one the little black mare Evelyn had selected for Lynn. The other was a docile looking brown gelding. The young Centaur colt was holding their reins, and he wore his sword and leather armor like Lynn.

The Panther crept to Evelyn's side, and then growled in his low voice, "There are ten of them, and all of them are armed with swords. Two have crossbows."

"I can get you through," Evelyn whispered to Caspian. He nodded and she dropped from her saddle. She could hear the armies cheering and roaring as she took her bow from the quiver. Stringing it, she set an arrow on the string and drew it back to the corner of her mouth, tightening her abs and drawing a breath through her nose as she did. As she let half of the breath out through her mouth, she closed her left eye and stepped out into the sunlight.

She aimed at one of the crossbowmen even as she moved and fired before they even saw that she was there. The second crossbowmen fell, an arrow in his chest, before a single sword had been drawn. Evelyn retreated into the shadows and leaped back into her saddle, drawing another arrow once she was mounted. "Go after the Queens. I'll draw them off," she hissed at Caspian, and he nodded.

She clapped her heels to the horse's side, launching him forward, and she fired as she shot out the tunnel. They raced into the forest in the direction the Queens hadn't gone, and she heard six, then seven, sets of hoof beats following. She saw Caspian galloping away out of the corner of her eye, and she turned in the saddle to fire again. A horse galloping too closely behind the soldier she shot tripped and went down, taking his rider with him. She grinned savagely when that rider didn't stir. She was glad the trees here were all quite old, because they didn't have any low hanging branches that could sweep her off her horse as they galloped. She fired twice more, spinning in the saddle and squeezing her legs to keep the horse galloping as she did. Then she started a wide turn, taking down two more soldiers as they tried to spin their horses after her. The last soldier stood no chance when she twisted in the saddle and fired, slowing down to a canter to ensure the shot.

She was galloping back to the How before he'd even hit the leaves. She slowed her horse as she neared the tunnel, and she came to a halt just inside the entrance. Some of the riderless horses had followed, and a young female Dwarf led them into the stable cavern upon Evelyn's return. Evelyn passed her bow and quiver down to Lynn, and then cantered through the tunnels back to the forge hall. She jumped from the saddle, leaving another young Dwarf to lead the sweating horse away. Another horse would be led in for Evelyn to join Caspian in the charge through the tunnels.

She'd spent a long time drawing soldiers away from safety so she could pick them off, and slowly she'd learned to pick them off as she drew them away. While it was often frustrating in the beginning, no one stood a chance against her now. And she put a lot of effort into reminding people that she hadn't learned the skill over night. It had taken her decades to perfect it, and that had been with practice almost every other day.

Evelyn had become a very skilled person, learning things that seemed random but had amazing uses. She had spent so long honing each skill that she could actually do some of them in her sleep. She'd woken one night with a dagger in each hand, dancing her way through a skirmish.

But all that time had many negative effects too. While she never reached an age to die, generation after generation of her friends did. She had so many memories crammed into her head that most she would only remember if given the right prompting. Other memories eluded her completely. Her life before Narnia had faded away completely after only her second reversion, and had never returned.

She knew she came from the other world, but she didn't remember anything. And she'd never really wanted to remember. She clung to memories of the Kings and Queens, and some things were brighter than others. She had déjà vu constantly, and she'd given up figuring out what it was the first time long ago.

Other things she let go by choice, one being embroidery. She'd let go of the memory of things she hadn't used once the Kings and Queens were gone. And there were things that had faded over time that came back with use.

She hesitated now, wanting to join the High King, but knowing she needed to be ready to join Caspian. She could run back into the How if she needed to lead the charge. But she knew quite well that if she was going to see her High King, she needed to go now. So she checked her sword and dagger and started up the ramp.

The metal on her armor caught and reflected the sunlight, and she squinted against the brightness. Her eyes adjusted instantly as she moved up the ramp. She could hear the duel, but she still couldn't see it. A feeling of intense concentration was coming to her from Peter, and she knew he was holding back his emotions.

He couldn't afford to give in to the blind rage now. He wouldn't remember the duel and he wouldn't have any energy afterwards. He'd be a danger to himself if he couldn't remember the plan. So she went up the ramp to watch for signs of the rage. She went up the ramp to see the High King as she remembered him.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Evelyn ran up the ramp in time to see Peter fall and Miraz stomp down on her High King's shield. She doubled over as her shoulder dislocated and she heard Peter cry out. She was shocked through the pain. This had happened only a handful of times in the past. Many times had the High King been hurt so badly that she'd felt the pain as her own, but she could count on one hand the number of times his wounds had become her own.

She looked up and saw Peter roll into Miraz's legs, knocking the Telmarine King to the ground. Peter scrambled to his feet, hissing his pain through clenched teeth. Miraz was slower to rise, and when he did, Evelyn could see the blood just above his knee where Peter had sliced through to the skin. Her attention however, was caught by the horse cantering from the woods. Caspian, with Susan behind him, rode around the arena to the army, and she motioned for a Faun to take the horse. Then she hurried forward as she heard Peter and Miraz speaking. Edmund then went forward to Peter and picked up his helm, and she moved between Susan and Glenstorm.

"Lucy," Peter exclaimed, wide eyed and clearly in pain.

"She got through," Susan assured him. "With a little help," she admitted, glancing at Caspian.

"Thanks," Peter said to Caspian.

"Well you were busy," the Prince replied, knowing how much Peter loved his siblings and how hard it was to ensure their safety into his hands.

"You better get up there, just in case," Peter said to Susan, adding, "I don't expect the Telmarines will keep their word."

Susan looked at Miraz and his three seconds, and then hugged Peter with one arm. Her bow was still in the other, and Evelyn felt the contact jar Peter's shoulder. Her hiss of pain wasn't heard over Peter's, and Susan said, "Oh. Sorry."

"It's alright," he assured her.

"Be careful," she pleaded.

Evelyn saw Edmund look to the Narnian army, and he muttered, "Keep smiling." They both knew the army was growing anxious. Peter raised his sword in salute as Susan ran down the walkway, and the army roared their support.

Evelyn moved the stool for Peter with one arm, and she knew none of the three boys noticed. Edmund took Peter's sword as Peter sat, and Caspian moved to take his shield. He held Peter's wrist in one hand and took the shield in the other. Evelyn hissed in pain as he cried out and pulled away from Caspian. "I think it's dislocated," Peter told Edmund as the younger King moved around to stand behind the injured shoulder.

"It's definitely dislocated," Evelyn told them, kneeling beside Peter as Edmund placed his hands to fix Peter's shoulder. Peter's good hand found Evelyn's bad shoulder, but she didn't feel him jar it. She only felt Edmund's hands on Peter's shoulder.

"What do you think happens back home if you die here?" Peter asked, staring at the stone floor of the arena. He looked up at Edmund, and Evelyn watched him carefully. "You know you've always been there, and I never really," he continued, and Evelyn nodded. Edmund yanked Peter's shoulder back into place, and Caspian made a face at the sound the two moving shoulders made. Evelyn and Peter both let out gasps of pain and surprise when their shoulders moved into place, and Peter leaned forward with the pain and the pressure. He felt Evelyn's shoulder move under his hand and he knew what had happened.

"Save it for later," King Edmund ordered him, going to retrieve Peter's sword. Caspian helped Peter to his feet as Edmund passed Peter his sword and Evelyn picked up his helm. Caspian took the shield from her as well and strapped it back onto Peter's arm before Edmund offered Peter his helm. He shook his head at the helm, and he stepped back into the arena. Miraz pushed his offered helmet away and stepped forward.

Evelyn held her sword with a white knuckled hand as Peter charged Miraz to resume the duel. She felt Edmund's hand wrap around her wrist when Miraz brought his sword down in a powerful arc that Peter sent skidding off his own blade as he moved under it. Caspian's hand wrapped around her other wrist when Miraz forced Peter back by battering him with both his sword and his shield, and she didn't say anything at their silent support and restraint.

When the blunt point of Miraz's shield connected with the side of Peter's head, both boys saw Evelyn's head jerk back and a dark bruise start to form instantly on her skin. Then she gasped for breath when Peter was slammed against the fallen pillar. "What is happening to her?" Caspian asked Edmund as they held the girl upright.

"She's taking Peter's wounds. See how he wasn't winded and he doesn't have the bruise?" the King told him.

"Yes," the Prince replied.

"The damage is going to Evelyn, even though the wound is being inflicted on Peter," Edmund explained. Caspian watched, wide eyed, when his uncle went after Peter, who was still on the ground. The High King blocked the first strike with his sword, then lifted his legs and tangled them around Miraz's, knocking the older King to the ground. Peter struck out, but his sword bounced off Miraz's shield, and then they were on their feet.

Peter met Miraz's ill-angled swing with his sword and then grabbed the hilt of Miraz's sword. Evelyn gasped, and Edmund knew why. They had learned to use that moved as a last resort. Peter wrested Miraz's sword out of his hand and swung the handle at the King, whacking him in the head.

Caspian wanted to laugh at the look on his uncle's face, but he didn't. He knew the severity of the duel, and he knew how to keep a straight face. Peter dropped Miraz's sword and lashed out in fierce, powerful, overhand strikes that forced Miraz back even though the King had both hands holding up his shield. Peter drove his sword past the shield, and Miraz caught it under his arm. Miraz slammed Peter's hand off the hilt, and back handed the High King across the face. Evelyn's head whipped to the side, and another dark bruise blossomed down the side of her face.

Caspian swore under his breath, but Edmund and Evelyn grinned savagely. "Peter has a few tricks up his sleeve thanks to our old trainer. He was extremely good at improvising when things like this happened," Edmund told him, and the taller boy nodded.

Miraz slammed Peter with his shield, and then passed the shield to the other hand. The King rammed Peter with his shield once more, and Caspian stilled in shock when Peter caught the shield in his hands. Peter strained, and Evelyn felt it as he lifted the shield above his head and twisted, trapping the shield behind Miraz's back. Miraz elbowed Peter in the face, and Evelyn cried out when she felt the skin over her eye split and blood trickled down her face. "Caspian, I'm staying up here. I won't be able to see in the tunnels," she hissed. The taller boy looked down at her face, and he winced at the blood running don her golden cheek.

"Alright," he agreed softly, and he turned back to the arena as Edmund leaned over to see Evelyn's face. Miraz grabbed Peter by the hood of his chain mail, cutting off the High King's air supply for a second, and then he flung the blond against a piece of a broken pillar.

Evelyn jerked when she felt the breath leave her lungs once more, and she nearly heaved. Miraz picked up his sword as Peter scrambled off the pillar and rolled onto his back on another piece of the pillar. He caught Miraz's downward arc on his bracers, pushing the sword aside. Evelyn felt the bruises form on her wrists, and then she laughed softly as Peter punched Miraz in the bandaged knee.

Miraz roared in pain and dropped back, crying, "Respite!" as he fell to one knee and dropped his sword.

"Now's not the time for chivalry, Peter!" Edmund protested, letting go of Evelyn. Peter glanced at his brother as he stood over the kneeling Miraz with a fist raised.

Evelyn felt Peter's disgust as he walked past Miraz, turning his back on the Telmarine, but she didn't have the breath to warn him when Miraz picked up his sword. So Edmund did it for her, shouting, "Look out!" She and Caspian reached for their swords as Miraz cleaved down at Peter's head from behind.

Peter only avoided being sliced in half by turning to one side and twisting around. He side stepped a straight stab, and grabbed the blade with his gloved hands. He ripped it from Miraz's hands and spun, stabbing the blade up under the dark gold armor and into the King's shoulder.

Miraz gasped, and his hand went up to his shoulder as Peter stepped back and yanked the sword free. The Telmarine fell to his knees, breathing heavily in pain and shock. Peter faced him, bringing Miraz's sword across his body at Miraz' neck height. All the High King had to do was swing his arm and Miraz would die.

Caspian looked at his uncle three seconds, and he saw no worry, no anger, not even pity. Lord Sopespian looked almost satisfied, and maybe even pleased with the turn of events. General Glozelle was expressionless, as if he was watching prisoners die, not his King. The other lord was blank-faced, uncaring about what happened next.

Edmund and Evelyn's eyes were pinned on Peter, though Evelyn did glance at the Centaur standing beside her. They all waited to see what the High King did, and Evelyn felt his concentration give in to hate.

"What's the matter, boy? Too cowardly to take a life?" Miraz sneered, looking up at the young King.

Evelyn felt Peter's rage, and she willed him to rein it in. She was relieved when he let the sword swing down so the tip touched the stone. She now stood on her own, behind both Edmund and Caspian, and she was having trouble seeing from her left eye. Blood had trickled into the corner of the eye, and it was quickly swelling closed. She knew she was going to have a hard time fighting alone like this, and she knew better than to go with Caspian. It was Peter or Edmund who knew how to fight at her back.

"It's not mine to take," Peter growled at Miraz, and instantly the Telmarine saw not a boy but a King. He saw the High King, and he realized just how noble of a King he was. Peter turned, shifting his hold on the sword to the blade as he offered the hilt to Caspian.

Evelyn felt Caspian straighten, and she didn't move as he stepped forward. Peter saw the Prince's face harden as the dark eyes dropped to Miraz. He walked forward slowly, meeting Peter's eyes as his hand slid into the grip of Miraz's sword, and Peter was proud of him.

Peter released the sword and moved to pick up his own as Caspian let the tip touch the stone at his feet. The blonde moved to stand beside Edmund, turning to look at Caspian and Miraz as he did.

Evelyn, however, was turning to look up at Susan. She could see the slight confusion and the worry on the Queen's face, so she nodded. Trumpkin nodded back to her, and she turned back to the arena. She wiped some of the blood off her face and smeared it on her pants, moving to stand behind the Kings.

Everyone watched, holding their breath, as Caspian raised the sword, using his other hand to guide the blade. Evelyn and the Kings saw Miraz's lips moving, but they couldn't hear him, and they knew they didn't want to hear it. They could see Caspian trembling with rage, and then Miraz bowed his head.

Caspian roared as he stabbed down, and they stared in satisfied surprise and pride when he pierced the clod of grass at his feet. Miraz looked up in shock, and Evelyn saw Edmund glance at Peter in confusion. Caspian straightened, saying something in reply to Miraz, and he looked to Lord Sopespian. The Lord lowered his head slightly, fury well hidden to all but Evelyn. Caspian walked back to Peter and Edmund, and Glenstorm raised his sword.

The Narnians roared in triumph, and the Telmarines stirred uneasily. Evelyn saw what the others didn't as Lord Sopespian handed off Miraz's helmet and went to the fallen King. She heard Edmund clap Caspian on the shoulder, and she smiled softly at the Prince. She didn't turn her back on the Telmarines until Peter placed his hand on her back and brought her with them, wiping at the fresh blood on her face with his glove. He sighed and she knew he understood why he'd survived.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Peter just stared into her eyes as Caspian headed for the How. His fingers traced the dark bruise from the shield on one side of her face, and she knew the bruise from Miraz's backhand was hidden by the swelling. "By the Lion, Evelyn, did you take all of it?" he asked softly.

"Besides the first bruise when he knocked your helm off. And you took most of the damage from your shoulder," she whispered, raising her hand to twine her fingers with his.

"How'd you know he knocked it off?" he asked as he turned his hand to kiss the back of her knuckles.

"I felt it. And then I felt your fear when he nearly sliced your throat," she murmured, reaching up with her other hand to wipe more blood away.

Neither Peter nor Evelyn saw the proud look Susan was giving Caspian, but Edmund did. But not one of the four of them saw Lord Sopespian stab Miraz with the arrow Susan had first shot on the beach and killed one of the soldiers. But they heard Miraz choke, and the three in red armor whirled around. They saw Susan's arrow, and they saw Miraz fall. Evelyn saw General Glozelle in the saddle of his horse, and she _knew. _

Caspian was horrified when he saw Susan's arrow in his uncle's back, but he knew Susan hadn't shot it. He was at the top of the ramp, and too far away to see well, but he heard Sopespian yell, "Treachery! They shoot him!" He saw the Lord grab Miraz's sword, and he understood. Sopespian had wanted the throne. So he'd killed Miraz like Miraz had killed his brother.

"They murdered our King!" Sopespian roared, and Glozelle galloped back to the army as the Lord raised the sword in the air. Sopespian ran back to his horse and mounted quickly for his age. He galloped off, and Evelyn felt Peter's dread. This is what they'd planned for and had hoped desperately against.

"Be ready!" Peter yelled to Trumpkin and Susan, turning his back on the arena.

"Peter!" Caspian shouted in warning, pointing behind the High King. The third Telmarine had drawn his sword and become just another masked soldier, and charged forward. Peter met him in the arena, blocked the soldier's strike, slashed him across the back of his thigh, and sliced his head off.

Evelyn and Edmund had both whipped their swords from their sheaths, and Peter turned and yelled, "Go!" Caspian ran to the horse and leaped into the saddle as Edmund and Peter ran forward to the edge of the arena. Evelyn moved to Peter's other side as the Bear charged back into the ranks of the army. Caspian turned his horse at the top of the ramp, waiting for Peter's order.

Evelyn tensed as she saw the flags wave, and then the catapults were being launched upon them. She heard Susan yell, "Archers to the ready!" and she wiped blood away from her eye again. Peter whirled, and she heard Caspian and Glenstorm gallop into the How.

"Ed, take the horse," she hissed, and the King nodded.

They heard the horn ringing under their feet, and Peter began to count. "One," he said. "Two."

She knew Caspian was counting with him as he said, "Three…four," and she was counting in her mind as he said, "Five…six."

When they reached seven, she heard Susan yell, "Take your aim!"

"Get ready!" Peter roared instead of ten, and Evelyn knew that below them, the columns were being smashed as horses stumbled. A huge pit opened in the field, and she grinned in her feral way. The front ranks of the cavalry tumbled into the pit, soldiers falling from saddles as horses broke their legs or fell.

"Now!" she heard Susan scream, and then a volley of arrows soared over them and devastated the Telmarine cavalry. They all heard the screams and the shouts coming from the pit, and then they saw the first of the soldiers pull himself from the rim of the pit.

Edmund ran forward, leaping into the saddle of the third Telmarine's horse, and Peter roared, "Charge!"

She saw the ramps drop, and the other half of the army streamed from the ground as she ran forward beside the High King. She stayed beside him as she vaulted over a soldier he kicked down. She hacked another soldier down and she heard the distinct roars of each Big Cat and the howls of the Wolves. Strength flowed into her and she snarled inhumanly.

Behind their masks, the Telmarine soldiers had all gone pale. They were faced with an army of unnatural creatures, two uncontainable knights, and a relentless soldier. And they made the corrections too late. That army was the native people of Narnia, those knights had lived another life as Kings, and that soldier had killed dozens of Kings for her people. They didn't make the correction until they saw it with their own eyes, and for most of them, it was the last thing they ever saw.

"Down!" Peter ordered her, and she dropped into a crouch in front of him. His sword whistled over her head and a soldier cried out behind her. Then she braced her weight on her hands on swept her legs out to one side, swinging herself on her palms as her legs ankles connected with a Telmarine's calves. He fell, and she left him to a Centaur.

Then she saw that Peter had stopped and looked to the far end of the field. She turned to look and snarled in anger and dread. General Glozelle had ordered the infantry forward, and now a steady, ominous beat filled the air as the soldiers marched.

When she looked to Caspian, she saw him desperately look over his shoulder at the How and use his sword in a typical forward signal. She and Peter, standing nearly back to back, looked up as Gryphons launched themselves from the highest levels on the How's ledges. They held Dwarf archers in their talons, and she swallowed as she realized what was about to happen. The Gryphons avoided the catapult shells with ease, but most of them weren't so fortunate with the giant crossbow.

She muffled a whimper as she saw the Gryphons crashing down into the rank of the soldiers, and Peter touched her shoulder. She'd fought for so long to keep the Gryphons from disappearing, and now they were all giving their lives for this.

Then she felt Peter turn and look to the How, and she guessed he was looking at Susan when she heard him say, "Lucy."

"Peter!" she cried in warning. He turned to look and she saw his stature change when he took in what lay before them. The Telmarine infantry had almost reached the pit.

"Back to the How!" he shouted. She didn't follow until she saw Edmund and Caspian spur their horses towards them to go around the arena.

Then she did follow, and she saw the How taking fire from the catapults. "Brace yourselves!" she heard Susan shout.

Then Evelyn felt the shell about to fly over her head, and she saw Peter running for the tunnel. And she _knew_ he had to stop. She let out her sharpest whistle, knowing the Animals would hear it and stop. But he wouldn't hear it. So she sucked in a breath and screamed, "Peter!"


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

He heard her scream, and he looked up. He saw the piece of the archway slam into the How, right beside the tunnel, and he scrambled to a stop. He watched, horrified, as the first two soldiers who'd made it down the walkway were crushed beneath falling stone.

He felt her skid to a stop beside him, and then his attention was drawn above to the archers' ledge, as piece of the ledge fell and a few of the archers had to scramble put of the way of a falling tree. "No!" she cried as they watched the section of the ledge Susan was standing on collapse and fall, taking Susan with it.

The Queen cried out, and Trumpkin grabbed her hand, holding her as he lay on his stomach on the stone. Caspian came to a running halt on Peter's other side and he looked over to see Peter's wide-eyed and fearful face. Peter tore his eyes away only to meet Caspian's eyes quickly, and then they both looked to where Susan swung from Trumpkin's hand. "Ah!" Susan screamed as she slipped from Trumpkin's grasp, and Evelyn breathed out in relief as the Queen landed on a piece of the How that had collapsed sideways. It was the piece over the doorway, and Susan only had to scramble down to reach the grass.

Peter's fear was greatly diminished when Susan met his eyes and moved to climb down from the slab of stone she'd landed on. Then he, Caspian, and Evelyn whirled when they heard the roar of a Minotaur. They saw the ring of Telmarine legions closing in on them, and Evelyn could feel pain ripping through her as she watched her people fight. Peter too, felt the sadness, but he tried to keep it reined in so Evelyn didn't have to feel it.

Caspian only felt anger. This wasn't supposed to happen. The Telmarines weren't supposed to betray the challenge, but they'd dishonored every code of battle.

Then all three of them forced their other emotions aside and focused on surviving and defeating the Telmarines. Edmund ran up between Evelyn and Peter, and he threw down the Telmarine crossbow and drew his sword. He met Peter's eyes, and the two of them shared a hard-set look that Evelyn had seen before. Susan slid in between Caspian and Peter, drawing an arrow from her quiver as she did. Caspian drew the dagger resting on his right hip, and Susan glanced at him. They saw the will to survive in each other's eyes as Caspian shifted aside to make room for her. Evelyn exchanged a glance with Trumpkin as the Dwarf appeared beside her. She nodded to him, and he drew his sword.

Then Peter turned back to the battle field and was ran forward, Caspian and Edmund moving with him on either side. He felt Evelyn behind him, and he knew she guarded his back. He kicked a soldier in the chest with renewed strength as Caspian and Edmund slashed and hacked and stabbed their way through soldiers on either side of him. They were a wedge of force with flashing blades and furious determination.

Susan used her bow in two ways, one a lot more traditional than the other. She shot down Telmarines, leaving a ring around her clear of the soldiers. But she also used the sharpened ends of the bow to cut down any of them that got too close to her from behind.

Evelyn was far more unrestrained now, and she let Peter's determination fuel her own. The battlefield teemed with riderless horses, and she used them as weapons by driving them at the legions of Telmarines. She was a weapon in of her own and Peter often glanced at her to make sure she didn't get to close to the legions. But eventually, it would be inevitable. The legions were still closing in on them, forcing the Narnians closer and closer to the pit.

And then Caspian fell in. All four of them just happened to look to him as he was forced backwards by three soldiers and then he tripped over a fallen soldier. His back hit the grass, and he rolled into the pit. Then they all saw Glenstorm lead a small group of Narnians straight at one of the legions and leap onto the shields, plowing their way into the soldiers and doing some massive damage once they were in.

Evelyn was the first to recover, and she let out a wordless shriek that alerted Peter to the soldiers behind him and Edmund to the soldiers between him and Susan.

Then she heard it. She whipped around and saw the Trees advancing across the field. "Peter!" she shouted, and he turned to see exactly what he saw. And when the Telmarines saw, they all knew. The Telmarines fled as the Narnians moved among the Trees.

Peter pulled Caspian up from the pit as Edmund and Susan looked at each other in amazement. Evelyn grinned at the two of them, and Peter looked to Caspian and explained, "Lucy."

A catapult shell slammed into one of the Trees beside them, and the Tree fell with a groan. The Tree behind it reared up on its back roots, raising its front ones into the air. It plunged them into the ground and the five humans watched in amazement as the roots raced through the ground. Narnians jumped back out of the way as across the field, Telmarines scrambled away in fear as the roots encircled the catapult from the ground. The roots pulled in, crushing the catapult in their grasp, and the Narnians cheered and roared.

Then Peter raised his sword, and cried his sacred battle cry. He'd only used it once before, in his first battle in Narnia. He had a pretty good idea that he was shouting it at his last battle in Narnia too. "For Aslan!" he roared, and he charged forward.

Behind him, Edmund and Susan echoed his cry as the Narnians shouted it. Caspian charged forward beside him as Evelyn let loose with a resounding cry and ran at his other side. The Narnians chased after the fleeing Telmarines, and Evelyn heard the harsh horn go up from the Telmarines forces.

"They're falling back to the river!" she shouted, recognizing the signal after all the times she'd heard it.

"They fear the river!" Caspian replied, running even with the golden haired girl. Her eyes gleamed with something he would have called joy, and he realized it was hope. When she laughed, he knew why. She'd been waiting for so long to defeat the Telmarines and save Narnia. And now Aslan was here and her thirteen hundred year old hope was fulfilled.

"Then let's corner them!" Peter yelled back. He too could feel the emotion emanating from Evelyn, and he wanted to laugh too. Hope had prevailed. Narnia had survived. Aslan had returned.

Evelyn couldn't contain the hope that was building inside her. It was meddling with her concentration, but she didn't care. Her joy at finally knowing that Aslan had returned topped her ability to contain herself, and she laughed as she chased the Telmarines. It was finally over. Narnia's greatest hero and Highest King had returned. She had every reason to ignore the blood still running down her face because it was mixing with tears of joy.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

They ran through the trees towards the river, all the while chasing Telmarines. The ground beneath their feet changed from grass to dirt to pebbles and then they were erupting from the tree line on the shore of the River Rush. The Narnian skidded to a stop when they found the Telmarines would indeed stand up when they were cornered.

For some reason, the remaining Telmarine Lords had brought their horses to stops on the bridge, and their soldiers were spreading out along the river. Then Peter saw why, and the other four were quick to follow.

Lucy walked slowly from the forest on the other side of the bridge until she stood at the very edge of the wooden planks. Peter and Edmund exchanged shocked looks, and Evelyn saw Edmund start to grin beside her. She elbowed him, and he hid the grin, but she could see the laughter in his eyes. Domino's sister, Citrine, had skidded to a stop in the pebbles beside Evelyn, and she smiled down at the Tiger as her eyes lit up in laughter.

Lucy drew her dagger, a small smile appearing on her face. It said, "I'm not afraid of you. I know something you don't. And you're about to make a huge mistake." And Evelyn had to smother laughter as she saw Trumpkin's horror at Lucy' actions.

Lord Sopespian turned his horse to see the Narnian army behind him, the three knights in red and silver armor, the girl in the red dress, and the prince in dark green and gray armor directly blocking his escape. The Telmarines shifted, jostling to get closer to the bridge and away from the Narnians that were creeping closer along the beach.

Then Sopespian turned his horse towards the bridge and his jaw dropped. A Lion the size of the girl who stood there defying them was striding from the trees. The Lion and the girl looked at each other, and then the Lion turned to the Telmarines.

Only Lucy heard Aslan's low snarl, but it put no fear in her heart. It only made her braver.

Telmarine soldiers were advancing into the water, and then Sopespian wanted to laugh at the petty resistance the Narnians had put up to stop them. "Charge!" he cried, raising his sword in the air. He galloped forward, the other Telmarines close all around, and he was determined to strike the foolish child down with his own sword.

Evelyn motioned for the Narnians to hold their lines as a few of them surged forward to defend their youngest Queen. She _knew _that the Lion was Aslan, and she _knew_ Aslan wouldn't let anything happen to Lucy.

She didn't flinch when Aslan let loose with a fierce roar that rippled through the water. She didn't have to smother laughter when she saw Sopespian rein his horse to a stop, shaking with fear, even though she wanted to laugh at the Lord. Then she heard the shock, unease, and fear spread through the Telmarines in the river as the water level rapidly decreased and she wondered what Aslan had done.

Peter and Edmund both knew their baby sister had something planned when she drew her tiny dagger. They didn't start forward to protect her because they knew she didn't need protecting. They knew it was over when Aslan padded out onto the bridge, and their hearts knew the lightest joy they'd felt since He had made them Kings.

Susan placed a gentle hand on Caspian's arm to hold him back when Lucy drew her dagger. The Queen knew her sister wasn't a fool, and she knew He was there somewhere. So she whispered, "Just watch," to the Prince, and dropped her hand away.

Trumpkin was horrified. He couldn't believe Lucy would risk something like this, something so foolish that it was likely to get her trampled and killed. He couldn't believe her older siblings didn't move to protect her, but when he saw Evelyn hold the lines back, he obeyed. He guessed they knew something he didn't, and he guessed there was a reason behind Lucy's madness.

Then they all saw the massive, churning wave approaching, but it looked like no wave they'd ever seen before. "What is happening?" a Telmarine screamed, and the soldiers made a terrified rush back to the beach, out of the river and off the bridge.

Narnians shifted uneasily as the Kings, Queen, and Prince turned to look at the wave. They'd never seen anything like this before either, but they guessed it was on their side if the Queen's companion had summoned it. Most of them had guessed who the Lion was by now, but a lot of them didn't believe it.

"Look," Evelyn murmured to Edmund when she saw Sopespian trying to get back to the beach desperately.

Then she was shocked into silence when the River God formed from the wave. He hadn't been seen since the Golden Age. But a beautiful grin lit up her golden face and made her golden Lion eyes sparkle.

The God reached for the bridge, his body surging forward in the water that was still in the river. More and more of it was drawn into his form, and Telmarines began leaping into the river to escape the bridge. A mighty spray came from the God, buffeting and soaking many of the soldiers.

Lucy saw the God turn to Aslan, and she saw Him nod to the God he'd created. She felt love swell in her heart, and she wanted to hug Him again, but she knew now wasn't the time.

"Oh my Lion," Caspian murmured as the God reached for the bridge, covering the planks with waves and washing soldiers off. He didn't know where the swear came from, but he knew it was Narnian as soon as it left his lips.

"Holy Lion," Edmund and Susan breathed when the God pulled the center of the bridge from the river, sending more Telmarines flying into the river.

"Good Lion," Evelyn and Peter sighed. The god had lifted the bridge on his shoulders until he could pull his head from underneath it and shake his hair back out of his face.

_Astonishment. _Lord Sopespian realized thewater of the river had formed a huge, bearded, wise faced old man.

_Fear. _Lord Sopespian gripped the reins of his horse as they were lifted into the air by a water beast with white knuckles.

_Anger._ Lord Sopespian had worked so hard on this plan and many more in attempts to take the throne for his own.

_Indignant._ Lord Sopespian wasn't about to let this being end all his hard laid plans for nothing.

_Like a man. _Lord Sopespian truly felt like a man as he swung his sword in defiance and tried to fight his death as the giant head came down and the mouth engulfed him.

_Nothing._ Lord Sopespian was gone when the water crashed down back into the river-bed. A glorious wave rose in the air, and the water churned with foam as it returned to its normal course, taking the planks of the bridge and quite a few bodies with it.

"They'll surrender now," Peter told the Narnians, gesturing with his sword to the Telmarines. The army spread out along the beach, some crossing to the other side, and they collected the weapons of the Telmarines as the soldiers dragged themselves back onto the shore.

As one, Peter, Edmund, Evelyn, Susan, and Caspian started across the river. Caspian, Evelyn, and Edmund sheathed their swords, and Susan returned her bow to her quiver, and they all watched the Lion as they neared Him.

Evelyn's heart was lighter than it had been in a thousand years, and Aslan could see that her eyes were a richer, clearer gold. Her eyes had been a gift to act as a kind of messenger and reminder, and to see them so free of sorrow made Aslan happy.

Edmund's heart was filled with belief. Aslan could see that he had believed Lucy from the beginning, even though he hadn't seen Him at the gorge. And He knew that Edmund had healed, and that too made him happy.

Susan's heart was ashamed, but also angered. He knew she had been given the greatest challenge of accepting Narnia the first time and suddenly being thrown back into her own world hadn't been easy on Susan. Being called back after finally settling back in her old life had made her both angry that she couldn't just live in one world and joyous that she'd been able to return. But now she was ashamed that she hadn't believed. But she was trying to believe. And that made Aslan happy as well.

Caspian's heart was amazed. He had only ever heard stories about the Great Aslan, and He could see in his heart that the Prince was afraid of letting Him down. He was more ready than he knew to take the Crown of Narnia. And that only added to Aslan's happiness.

Peter's heart was thankful. Aslan could see that he was grateful for returning to Narnia and surviving the battle he'd undertaken. He could see that he was most grateful for being returned to his love, the girl with His eyes. And that made Aslan smile as the five of them knelt.

Edmund and Caspian bowed their dark heads as they dropped to their left knees. One Peter's other side, Evelyn and Susan sank to both knees, bowing their heads as they did. Peter knelt in the middle, sword in his hands; tip down in the sand, his forehead resting against the pommel, for he had no sheath into return his sword.

"Rise, Kings and Queens of Narnia," Aslan said. Edmund and Peter looked up, their faces serious in their joy. Evelyn and Susan were smiling as they looked up, and the four of them got to their feet. Evelyn was, after all, the Queen without a crown. "All of you," Aslan added. His voice was rich and beautiful, and Evelyn felt her pain lessen.

Edmund tapped Caspian with his sheathed sword, and the Prince looked up, wide eyed in surprise. "I do not think I am ready," he admitted, looking down.

"It's for that very reason I know you are," Aslan told him. And Caspian stood. He looked first to Edmund, whose eyes bore no jealousy, but only support. And when he met Peter's eyes, he saw no grudge, but only pride.

Then a strange music sounded from behind them. They turned to see half a dozen Mice, two of them bearing a stretcher with Reepicheep upon it. One of the others played a set of tiny bagpipes. Lucy hurried forward as they set the stretcher down, and she pulled out her vial as she went. She crouched beside the Mouse and let a single drop fall into his mouth. The Mouse's rasping, shallow breaths eased and then he swallowed the drop. His breathing eased, and he drew a deep breath. He released it as a sighed "Oh," as he opened his eyes and sat up. "Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you," he said as two of his Mice helped him to his paws. Then he spotted the Great Lion himself. "Oh! Hail, Aslan. It is a great honor to," he started, bowing as he spoke.

Then he lost his balance and turned to see that he had no tail. Then he straightened and reached behind him as is he could cover up the stub where his tail had been. "I am completely out of countenance," the Mouse said to Aslan as he turned to face The Lion. "I must crave your indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion."

So he turned to Queen Lucy, who unlike the others, stood in front of him, not behind. "Perhaps a drop more?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't think it does that," Lucy apologized, and she missed the amused smiles that her brothers and Caspian were exchanging.

"It can have a go," Reepicheep tried.

Aslan laughed softly, and said, "It becomes you well, small one."

"All the same, Great King, I regret that I must withdraw, for a tail is the honor and glory of a Mouse," Reepicheep replied, drawing his sword and offering to Aslan in both paws. The Mice behind him were shocked and saddened while the Humans above him were shocked and confused.

"Perhaps you think too much of your honor, friend," Aslan told him.

"Well, it's not just the honor. It's also great for balance," the Mouse was clearly thinking quickly as he corrected himself. The humans above him were smiling openly now, and Evelyn and Susan exchanged amused looks. "And climbing, and grabbing things," the Mouse went on, and Lucy turned slightly to look at Aslan. The Great gold eyes met hers until the sound of several small swords being withdrawn drew their attention once more.

"May it please Your High Majesty, we will not bear the shame of wearing an honor denied to our Chief," Reepicheep's second spoke up, and Reepicheep turned to see that the six had taken their tails in one paw and brought their blades to them. They were all prepared to cut off their tails out of respect and love for their chief.

Aslan chuckled softly, and he said, "Not for the sake of your dignity but for the love of your people." There was a sound like a snake in dry grass and the Mice gasped and the second stepped back in shock. Reepicheep felt the weight he was missing and he turned.

He gasped, and he grabbed his new tail with a "Oh ho!" He spun around, showing his Mice his new tail, and he cried, "Look!" Then he faced Aslan again and bowed low, saying, "Thank you, thank you, my liege. I will treasure it always."

Evelyn watched as Aslan nodded his head slowly, and her heart sang as he smiled. She had missed him so much, and now he was here. Lucy was laughing softly and merrily and she could hear the others chuckling as Reepicheep went on to say, "From this day forward it serve as a great reminder of my huge humility." The Mice sheathed their swords, and Evelyn smiled.

"Now, where is this Dear Little Friend you've told me so much about?" Aslan asked, and his voice carried to Trumpkin, who stood nearby overseeing an area of surrender. They all turned to where he was standing, and the Dwarf turned to look at them. He hesitantly made his way towards them, lowering his head and glancing at Aslan warily. The Great Lion got to his paws, his tail swinging, and the Dwarf knelt as Peter had, sword before him. He gave Aslan one last look and lowered head.

Aslan roared, and Evelyn wanted to dance as she hadn't danced since the Golden Age. The Dwarf jumped and looked shakily to Lucy as the Queen asked teasingly, "Do you see him now?" Trumpkin was clearly both afraid and embarrassed as he looked at the now gentle faced Aslan.

The Lion turned to the six humans, and Evelyn gave in. She ran to him, ignoring the looks of surprise, and she hugged him. Aslan laughed as she buried her face in his mane, and he curled one forepaw around her welcomingly. "You're here," she breathed into his mane, and Caspian noticed how the color of her hair darkened to match His coloring.

"I never left you, my gold one," He told her, and He felt her nod against Him. Then Susan and Peter came forward, Edmund with them, and they joined Evelyn to hug Him. Lucy joined them, her clear laughter ringing out around them. They were all happy.

The Telmarines had been defeated. Narnia had been saved. Caspian was going to become King.

Aslan had returned. And they really needed no other reason to be filled with joy.


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Once the Telmarines had all surrendered, the Kings, Queens, Prince, and Princess returned to the battlefield with Aslan and a few others. They split up as they crossed the field, Lucy pulling her cordial out as they went. She didn't bother to check for a pulse when He stopped over someone, since Aslan led her past those He knew were already gone. Telmarine soldiers followed a ways behind, gathering their dead to return them to their families and honor them as they deserved. The Narnians, however, would be honored by being buried in the How.

Evelyn went straight towards the How itself, then she remembered the doorway was blocked. She called to her Hawk, who swooped down from the sky and landed on her arm. "Can you go to Goldlight and have whoever's there come to Caspian's castle? Have them bring the Royal Books and the banners and pennants that I set aside. They'll know what I speak of. Make sure you tell them we won and that Aslan has returned," she asked him.

"Of course, milady," he replied, taking off with a shriek. Then she climbed down into the pit and caught the reins of one of the horses still milling about. None of the horses that had survived had been able to get out, so there were plenty of them. She realized they feared the tunnels that went towards the How when she saw that they had gathered on the side of the pit farthest away from there.

Swinging into the saddle of a dark golden buckskin mare, she rode for where she'd left Lynn. She called the girl's name until she heard hoof beats coming towards her and she brought her horse to a stop. The little black mare trotted around a pillar and the girl on her back broke into a beaming smile. Then the girl slid down from her saddle and Evelyn jumped down in time to be caught in a tight hug around the waist.

She looked up to see Doctor Cornelius, the Centaur colt and filly, and a few of the others who hadn't fought come around the pillar, and they smiled at her. "We've won! Aslan's returned!" she told them, and they cheered. They walked back to the pit, Evelyn leading her horse as Lynn clung to her side. The colt led Lynn's mare for her, and when they stepped out into the sunlight, Evelyn found Peter, Caspian, Glenstorm and Trufflehunter looking down at her.

"Aslan's fixed the How. You can come out that way," Peter told her, and she nodded. He smiled when he saw the little arms wrapped around her waist, and then she was disappearing under the ground again. The riderless horses followed, though warily, as the Professor and the colt herded them along.

At the ramp out of the How, Evelyn drew aside and helped herd the horses up into the sunlight. She went into the caverns once more, and gathered their clothing and gear from various places. When he brought it all outside, she found the other five waiting for her. They all held the reins of horses, since it would be a long walk and they would rather ride back to the castle. Aslan sat beside them, and she could see that he was making the horses very nervous.

Once each of them had claimed their things, they started for the castle, Narnians and Telmarines alike following at their own pace. Many wounded soldiers would not take Lucy's cordial, and they were placed on horses to return to the castle.

Early the next evening, Caspian sat with the Pevensies, Evelyn, and Lynn at dinner in the castle after they'd all had baths and dressed in clean, fresh clothing. Doctor Cornelius had already left, as had the others who'd dined with them. Aslan had not joined them, but they didn't question Him. They knew He had His reasons. Caspian made his announcement after the meal had been cleared away, and the others were surprised. "I'm giving the castle staff six days to prepare for the coronation," he told them.

"Why so long?" Edmund asked.

"I want to hold a feast afterwards. The Telmarine Kings had never done that, and it will take the staff a while to plan and prepare everything," Caspian replied.

"Feasts are a very Narnian tradition, Caspian. It is a good start to interweave such an older past into the future," Lucy encouraged him, and he nodded his thanks to her.

"What about a parade?" Susan suggested.

"A parade? What for?" Caspian asked her.

"To celebrate your coronation and show the Telmarine people that you are a different King than those before you. If the Narnians walk the parade behind you, it will give the people a chance to accept one another," Peter explained.

Caspian thought about it for a minute, and then he nodded. "I like that," he told them.

And six days later, the coronation was in motion. The people of the village and the castle gathered in a field on the far side of the village with the Narnians, and the Centaurs formed an aisle with their swords. Aslan and Caspian walked down the aisle, Caspian dressed in an elegant cream split sleeved shirt with dark brown trim and under sleeves. He also wore beige pants and dark brown boots, and Evelyn thought the color scheme was far better than what the Telmarine Ladies had wanted him in. Susan had taken control of their outfits, and all seven of them were far happier for it.

Peter was wearing a pale blue shirt with a darker tunic over. He wore tan pants, and boots that were redder than Caspian's. Susan's red and gold dress wasn't overly fancy, but it looked very good on the Queen. Edmund had been given an outfit identical to Peter's in style, but it matched his preferred colors of brown. The shirt was a lighter creamy brown, the tunic a darker milky chocolate. He also had gray pants tucked into black boots. Lucy wore a light pink dress that made her look both like a child and a Queen.

Evelyn stood beside Edmund, completing their assembly, and she was glad that Susan had picked her outfit. She wore a light green shirt with a long dark green tunic over it and dark brown leggings. She completed the outfit with gray boots and completely loose hair that shone as gold as The Lion's fur. She waited for Lynn to join her, and she remembered helping the girl dress that morning. Susan had picked a pretty purple dress with white vines embroidered around the neckline for the auburn haired child.

Doctor Cornelius came down the aisle after Caspian stood at the top of the hill. A beautiful wooden throne had been made by the Centaurs for Caspian to use while the new Throne Room was built inside the castle, and Caspian stood before it now. Aslan stood further down the hill, about even with the Kings and Queens on one side, the remainder of the Council of Lords on the other. The Professor bore a dark blue pillow that Evelyn had presented to Caspian for the ceremony when her squad of young and old Centaurs, Gryphons, Dwarves and a few Animals arrived the day before. On that pillow sat the Crown of Narnia, shining gold and set with precious jewels. It was larger, and looked more expensive, but when Evelyn compared the two crowns in her mind, she thought Peter's was far more elaborate and elegant.

"To the Renewed Narnian Land, I give you King Caspian, the Restorer," Aslan announced. High King Peter crowned Caspian, and he was proud to be the one to do so. Lynn came down the aisle next, bearing a second pillow, and Queen Susan presented the new King with his own signet ring of Narnia. The gold ring was engraved with a Crown and bordered by antlers, and she placed it on the ring finger of his right hand.

Then Aslan looked at the Kings and Queens of Old, and they cried, "Long live King Caspian!"


	25. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. I am terribly sorry for failing to update this work, and must convey that semester finals require far more effort to prepare for than I remember from last year. Oh well. I suppose that is life. Anyway, fear not, here you are! Chapter 24 of **_**After All**_**.**

Chapter 24

Peter couldn't help it. Lucy's cheerfulness had always been infectious. He couldn't resist her smile, and the joy spread from there. So he led the applause for the new King Caspian even as the villagers were streaming from the field to line the Royal Road back to Castle Graystone. And he knew his own joy was fueling Evelyn's, whose smile reached deeper into her eyes than he'd seen since returning to her.

A gentle breeze sprang up from the sea and caught her hair, fanning it out in a golden pennant that drew the eyes of many of the villagers. She titled her head back as she swung into the saddle of her dark buckskin mare, and he reached up and caught a strand of her hair. She grinned at him as he tugged it gently, and she leaned down to kiss him. "Are we still married, or are we reverting back to friends?" she whispered against his lips, meeting his sky blue eyes.

"We're in love and that's all we need to be right now," he murmured, letting her go with another kiss. Then he swung onto his white stallion and moved ahead of her to his place in the parade line. Susan rode beside him on a dappled gray mare, laughing at something Caspian had said. The King mounted Destrier, and Aslan padded over to stand beside the horse. Lucy, on a dark bay mare, and Edmund, on a chestnut stallion, took their places behind him and Susan.

Evelyn and Lynn, who rode a small palomino mare with a snow white mane, tail, and socks, left a horse length in front of them as the line moved out. Evelyn rode beside Glenstorm, smiling and waving. Peter could hear her laughing and when he turned once to look at her, he saw her catch a flower thrown by a young girl. The Princess lifted the flower and handed it back to the girl, who smiled shyly. At one point, Evelyn acquired a red flag, and she held it one hand as she rode. He couldn't help but be proud of her for everything she did all those years and for how she welcomed Caspian with an open mind. He knew she had welcomed the Prince more easily than he had, and he wondered if it had anything to do with how she'd met Caspian the Ninth.

Then he shook that thought off. He realized she had accepted Caspian because she'd seen who he really was, something Peter hadn't been able to see. Pride swelled in his heart for her, and he remembered how so many foreign nobles in the Golden Age had scoffed at her for being his Guardian. That was who she was. And she'd been the Guardian of Narnia throughout the Golden Age and the Telmarine Age.

He smiled as he recalled the name he'd heard several times over the previous six days. The Narnians had dubbed the past thirteen hundred years the Telmarine Age, and they were determined to call Caspian's reign the New Age.

'He'd as Narnian as I am,' Peter realized suddenly. Indeed, Caspian was. And that pride inside him grew bigger as he watched the King in front of him. 'He's not the Telmarine who saved Narnia. At least not to me he's not,' he added to himself, and he knew he had to tell Caspian that he was truly proud of him. He needed to leave Narnia at peace with the one who watched over his beloved land.

So that night, watching the fireworks with Evelyn, his siblings, Caspian, and Lynn, he told him. He leaned over, catching Caspian's shoulder in his hand, and pulled him closer so no one over heard him. "I'm proud of you, Caspian. You'll do great things for Narnia, though I don't think any of them will ever be as great as what you've already done," he told the new King quietly. Evelyn looked up at him curiously, though she understood, from where her head rested on his thigh.

They were sitting out on a balcony, looking towards the exploding lights, and they were all seated on a mass of pillows and blankets. Evelyn had stretched out on her back, groaning as her cracked rib flared. She'd cracked it when he'd been slammed against the fallen pillar, right before he'd stabbed Miraz. Caspian was sitting beside them, Edmund on his other side. Susan lay with her head on Edmund's knee, and Lucy was using Evelyn's hip as a pillow. Lynn was curled between Lucy, Evelyn, and Peter, a little afraid of the loud explosions above them.

"You are?" Caspian asked softly, turning to meet his eyes.

Peter could read the surprise on the King's face, and he nodded. "Do you think I would have crowned you if I wasn't?" he replied gently, offering a smile.

"No, I don't think you would have," the dark haired teen sighed after a moment searching Peter's face. Peter shifted and held out his hand. Caspian recognized the peace offer and clasped hands with the High King, grateful for the silent blessing.

"You'll make a great King," Peter told him in a low voice once they'd released their handshake.

"Not one as great as you," Caspian protested.

"You can't be me. You are the King of a different time, of a different age. Never try to be someone you're not, Caspian. You will never be me, because you can only be you. And you are going to great in your own way," the High King assured him.

"That was…wise," the King replied.

Peter laughed and Evelyn spoke up softly. "You're welcome," she said to Peter.

"Yes, yes, thank you," he laughed, bending down to kiss her forehead.

"What?" Caspian asked, careful not to pry.

"I wanted to tell you that I was proud of you, but I didn't know how to say it. So Evelyn made me admit how I felt you would do, how I thought about you being King, and you just heard the result," Peter admitted, grinning.

"Well, then, thank you, Princess," the King laughed.

"You're most welcome, Your Highness," she replied, tilting her head carefully to smile at him.

Peter saw the friendship between Caspian and Evelyn, and he was glad that she'd accepted him to replace her as the Guardian of Narnia. He had a sudden urge, but he waited until Caspian had looked back to the sky before he leaned down and captured Evelyn's lips with his own. He felt her smile before she kissed him back, and he slipped one hand under her head to lift her closer. "You know I love you, right?" he asked when he let her go.

"And you know there was never anyone but you, right?" she replied softly, her eyes reflecting the fireworks above them.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Evelyn," Aslan's voice was heavy with sadness as He padded through the hall to her side.

"What's wrong, Aslan?" she asked softly, her hand resting on the sword at her side. She walked beside The Lion until they stopped in the sunlight streaming in from a window.

"I must give you another choice, gold one," He told her. She could feel the sadness rolling off Him, and she knew the choice would not be easy. There would be sacrifices and consequences of each option, and she knew she had to pick the option with the consequence and sacrifice she could live with.

"A choice of what?" she prompted Him when he paused. He sat beside her, and He was as tall as she was, though she was standing.

"What you are going to do," He replied.

"What are my options?" she asked, gazing out the window over the castle.

"The first one is to stay in Narnia. You could restore Narnia alongside Caspian, and raise Lynn to continue on as the Guardian. You would remain the Princess, and Lynn could be your heir. You would give up your memory of the other world forever, and you not marry. You would never bear Peter's son, and you would not live passed the age of forty. But you could remain the Guardian and keep the legends alive," He started, and she knew she would not pick that option.

"No, Aslan. I have waited a thousand years to be with Peter and bear his son. Narnia doesn't need me anymore. Everything I did here, everything I didn't do, was for Narnia. I need to do something for myself now," she replied.

"Your second option would be to return to your own time. You would lose your memory of Narnia, and could go on without the influence of this world. You would be able to fall in love with someone else and bear his children, and live to old age. But you never know of Narnia again. You would give up Peter and your son, and you would be a very different person," He went on.

"I often wondered what it would be like to return to England with no memory of Narnia. I was willing to forget Narnia for a while, but now that Peter has returned, that hope will not die so easily. I spent a thousand years and more waiting for him to return so my hope would be fulfilled. Now it is, and I cannot let it go. I am who I want to be because of Narnia, I can't give that up," she admitted, though she sensed He knew already.

"Your last option is to return to England in Peter's time. You would have to live with a year's worth of memories that never happened, and you would know they are not real. You would not return to Narnia for some time. But you would be able to bear Peter's son, and you would be with him. But be warned; if you choose this option, you will not live a long life," He finished.

"I have lived far longer than any other human, Aslan. I do not need to live to old age. I am already old," she smiled sadly. "What will happen to Lynn if I choose Peter's time?" she asked.

"Lynn will learn to follow in your footsteps. She will become Caspian's Guardian, and she will be the Princess of Narnia. She will sit at Goldlight, as you did. She will help Caspian rebuild the Council, and he will make the Chair of the Council. She will be his equal in his eyes, and she will have more influence than the House of Lords will. She will help him learn the Books of Music and Poetry so that he can truly bring Narnia back," He replied.

"Will the Book of History show the Telmarine Age?" she questioned Him, resting her left hand against the glass. Her skin was turned to fire as the sunlight glowed through her flesh.

"Yes. But the Book of Heritage will show the royalty during the Age as Telmarine Kings and Queens. And the Princes and Princesses who died before they were crowned King or Queen will show as well, just as they did before the Telmarine Age. But Caspian will be the first Narnian King after Peter. Though you do fall between them in the Book of Heritage. And Lynn will appear in the pages once Caspian crowns her his Princess," The Lion told her.

"After all this time, I never looked at my own image in the Book of Heritage. I never knew I was in there," she laughed softly.

"You appeared there the day you were crowned. You know how the Books work. They are enchanted to hold the facts and story of Narnia. They were brought into being when I crowned Frank and Helen all those centuries ago. And you know the Book of Law hold the traditions you created during the Telmarine Age. Caspian will have all the answers he needs in those Books. You did the best thing you could have by saving them from Cair Paravel," He said, meeting her eyes.

"Will I see you again?" she asked quietly.

"Someday you will gold one. When the time is right, you will know," He promised.

"I can live with the fake memories, and a short life. I waited a hundred lifetimes to be with Peter again. The price is worth it. I choose to return to Peter's time," she told Him, raising her chin. Her voice was steeled with finality, and He knew she would not regret her choice.

"Then it will be so," He swore. "When I open the door to your world, you must go through. Go with Peter and Susan when they leave. They will understand. And you will too. I will be there, in your world, but you must find me," He added.

"You go by another name in our world," she replied, nodding. She had a pretty good idea of what that name was.

"You must learn to know me by that name, gold one. I will hear you when you use it," He promised her.

"I will, Aslan. But I have a question," she responded.

"Your eyes will stay gold. They were gold before, though they were a much flatter, duller color. You used to call them hazel. And Lynn will follow you on the path as the Queen with no crown," He answered the unspoken question before she even put it into words in her head.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"I know leaving Narnia in Caspian's hands will not be easy, my gold one. But you left part of your legacy in Lynn, and you five gave Caspian the answers he needs when you gifted him the Royal Books," Aslan's gentle words dispelled many of the fears still gnawing at her stomach, and she looked to The Lion.

"Thank you, Aslan," she murmured, meeting His eyes. She could see the joy and the sorrow, the pride and the acceptance, and the love gleaming in the golden depths. She bowed to Him, knowing it would be the last time she did so. And before she straightened, she felt His nose on her forehead, and when she looked up again, her own Lion-eyes were calm.

After Aslan had walked away to find Peter and Susan, Evelyn sought out Lynn. She found the little girl on the practice courts with Edmund, learning to wield a dagger while wearing a dress. Said dress was a cream color that complemented the light gold of Evelyn' over shirt, which had been altered to a more feminine form. The shirt had a V-neckline that revealed the light cream undershirt and short sleeves covered the top of the undershirt, but the longer, slim sleeves were exposed. The sleeves of Lynn's dress were a pale gold, and Evelyn thought the girl looked very cute in the colors. Evelyn completed her own outfit with dark brown pants and nearly black boots.

Watching the girl, she saw the same mistakes she'd made when she'd first learned. "Twist backwards so your skirt lifts up. You won't trip over it that way," she called. The little auburn head whirled around and nodded. She turned back to Edmund and took her position once more. Then she whipped through the move, twisting as she did, effectively dodging Edmund's sword and her own dress. Evelyn watched with gleaming eyes and a proud smile as she moved forwards and drew her own sword.

Lynn saw, and moved to practice with one of the fauns nearby. Edmund looked up and shed his two shirts. Evelyn removed her over shirt, and then she rolled on the balls of her feet. Edmund grinned and his sword darted forward, faster than a striking snake. Evelyn's sword came up and she flicked his blade aside, spinning around him to lash out with a sidearm cut. It went on and on for a while, then they stepped back and bowed to each other. Evelyn's wrists still bore faint bruising from Peter's duel, and her ribs prevented any fancy tricks, so they didn't spar for long.

And then Caspian was there, standing on the stairs down into the practice yards. "Everyone is ready," he told them as they turned to him. Around them, the guards and soldiers bowed.

Lynn gave him a shallow curtsy, but Evelyn and Edmund shared a soft look before they replied. Evelyn bowed her head quickly, deferring to his now higher rank. But Edmund simply nodded and said, "Then we had better join the assembly."

At the top of the stairs, Evelyn pulled Caspian aside momentarily. "Caspian, I want you to take this," she told him, handing him her dagger in its sheath. It had protected her for a long time in Peter's absence. "A Narnian King needs to defend his people with their weapons," she added.

"This blade must have a history," Caspian murmured.

"Of course it does. But the most important part of it is that the dagger you hold was Peter's gift to me when we met the very first time. Let it be part of my legacy here, that Kingsshield lives on to protect you," the Princess replied.

"I will tell its story to those that follow in my footsteps," the King promised softly.

"And I would ask one more thing of you. Give this sword to Lynn the day you make her your Princess. The Guardian of Narnia will need her weapons one day," gold Lion-eyes met dark ones and she saw the promise in his eyes. He saw the love of the land and her people in the unique depths, and he swore without words that he would. One of his valets took both blades up to his personal armory, and then Evelyn fell in beside Edmund once more. She smiled at him, and he saw the peace in her eyes reaching all the way into her soul.


	27. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: Hey everyone, Evelyn's back! So sorry it took us so long, but a new NCIS story featuring Anna has been driving the creative car. Anyway, Evelyn has the keys and hopefully she won't be giving them up any time soon. She also says to let you know that Aly will have the keys really soon. Of course, Anna is a backseat driver too.**

Chapter 26

"Peter, my son, come," Aslan requested from behind him. Immediately, the High King turned from the balcony and followed The Lion back into the main castle keep. "There are things you must know," He told him, padding through the hall.

"What might they be?" Peter asked.

"The first one is that Evelyn has decided to return to England with you. She has agreed to live with a year's worth of false memories so that she does not have to return to her own time," He started.

"Why would she do that?" he asked softly, stunned. He'd known Evelyn would face a choice eventually, but he'd refused to think of the possibility that she could go with him. He hadn't wanted to be crushed when he never saw her again.

"She waited a thousand years for you to return. She will not let you leave without her this time," Aslan replied gently.

"She still loves me, even after all that time," he murmured, shutting his eyes briefly. He'd been struggling to forgive himself for leaving her; her forgiveness made the guilt all the heavier.

"Forgive yourself, Peter. She places no blame on you. She knows what happened. She knows it wasn't your choice. She understands, as you must, that it was not your fault I called you from Narnia," He told him.

"But why did you call us away?" Peter asked, realizing what it was keeping him from letting go of his guilt.

"So you could save Narnia. Had you stayed, things would have been very different. It would have been your great-grandson who was pulled from the throne when the Telmarines invaded. He would have been killed in the duel. Narnia would have been destroyed. By leaving Evelyn here, I guaranteed that Narnia would survive. But by pulling you away, I ensured that Narnia would live," Aslan explained.

"So it really was you who sent the White Stag," Susan realized from behind them. "Evelyn told me she thought as much," she went on as they turned to her. Peter wrapped one arm around his sister as he took in her expression of pain.

"Yes, I sent him," He told them sadly.

"Why did it have to be that day, Aslan?" Peter asked softly.

"I called you away that day because I wanted you to love your child. I wanted you to know of him, so that you were would not lose hope of ever seeing your family expand. I do not know why it took so long for Evelyn to be with your child, but I wanted t restore your hope before it was too late," Aslan replied.

"Will we ever have our son?" he looked into the gold eyes, searching for an answer.

"You know the answer to that in your heart, proud one," He assured the High King. Peter nodded and Susan smile at him. She knew how hard it had been on her brother to lose his treasured Evelyn and his child. That first night around the fire, after they'd rescued Trumpkin, she'd seen the tears he'd tried to hide as they slept.

"When will we go home?" she asked, placing her hand on her brother's upper arm.

"Today, when I open the door. You will understand when you have seen it," Aslan replied as He sensed their confusion.

"What was the other thing that you wanted to tell me, Aslan?" Peter asked quietly, saddened by the thought of leaving once more.

"You shall not see Narnia again," He sighed. They could both hear the sadness and the weight of His words, and they understood as their pain washed over them.

"We aren't coming back?" Peter gasped, knowing in the back of his mind that Evelyn would sense every one of his emotions. Instantly, knowing she felt his emotions more powerfully than he felt his own, he reined them in and reassured himself that he was okay. He took a deep breath and pictured her face, calming himself. He knew it would calm her down too and he hoped he'd done it fast enough.

"Someday, you will. But I do not know when, and I cannot guarantee why. But there is nothing more Narnia can teach you. If you grow any older here, you will never be able to live in your own world. You were brought here to grow and learn to live in your own world. You needed the experience of being older, of becoming adults, of carrying the responsibility of the Crown on your shoulders. And now you must use that experience and live in your world," Aslan told them as they walked under the stone walkway around the courtyard.

"Will we see you again?" Susan asked, and it was at that moment that Caspian found them.

"Your majesty?" Aslan asked gently, seeing his hesitation.

Caspian looked first at Susan and his heart clenched as he took in the pain and sorrow in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to cry. "We are ready. Everyone has assembled," he told the three of them, tearing his gaze from the Queen.

Aslan looked at Susan as she tried to hide the pain that Caspian's words sent through her. She realized now that she had ruined everything by not telling him how she felt, and now it was too late. She met the King's eyes one last time, and then he turned away. They continued to walk, and she rested her hand against His mane, seeking the comfort only He could give her.

Peter watched his sister silently, guessing easily what she was thinking about. He had seen that look on Evelyn's face once, and knew it to be heartbreak. In his mind, he went back to the day she'd remembered.

_Flame didn't speak as he herded him back to Evelyn's room. He knew something was wrong, he could feel it inside him. So his stomach lurched when he found her sitting like a statue before her bathing pool. Kneeling in front of her, he saw that she was in shock. Her eyes could only be described as glass. Her skin was white, and he could see her veins standing out beneath it. Her face was streaked with tear stains. He bit his lip as he took her freezing hands in his. Fear was beginning to take hold of him. He had no idea what to do. So he spoke to her. "Evelyn? Can you hear me? Answer me, please, Evelyn," he murmured, desperately searching her face for some kind of response._

"_Evelyn , whatever you've remembered, you must remember that you are a good person. You must remember that you are safe here. You must remember that you are mine now, not theirs," he told her, moving both her hands into one of his so he could touch her face. Her skin was freezing, just as her hands were, and her lips were blue._

_"You are a warrior, Evelyn, my warrior. You must fight this. Defy it, as you have defied tradition and stereotypes. Defy whatever holds you and know that you have done only good here," he implored her, and he realized that her hands were warming in his own. It was like holding ice, it just melted away. But it didn't leave Peter feeling cold. He was as warm as ever, and he was determined to warm her as well._

"Oh, Aslan, whatever it is, please, free her," he asked, looking to the lion carved in the wall.

"He did," a faint whisper reached his ears, and he instantly looked back to Evelyn. "He freed me when he took my memory and let me escape. He freed me by sending the storm to wash me up on your shore. He freed me by calling me to Narnia. He freed me by sending me to you," she murmured, and he saw that though her eyes were still blue glass, her lips were returning to their normal color. He watched the coldness melt out of her as color returned to her skin.

"What did you remember?" he asked her gently.

"Everything. I remember where I'm from, my whole life before this world. I remember coming to this world, being taken in by the Queen of the Wild Lands. I remember being groomed and trained and never realizing it. I remember being a pet to take the throne so that when you discovered the endless winter in the Wild Lands, you would destroy me. I remember being part of the plan to weaken you so Her followers could destroy you," she told him, looking straight at him with her glass eyes.

"What plan?" he prompted her. Anything she knew could help them now.

"You would see me as the source of the winter, because I would be, just not the original. You would see the remnants of the White Witch's army among mine, and you would think I in alliance with her, because I was groomed to be. You would destroy my army and me, and by destroying me, you'd weaken yourself, because you need me. You'd be weak enough that the Queen would be able to rise from hiding with those she still had loyal to her and destroy you. She'd rule Narnia," Evelyn whispered.

"Again," he breathed. He was horrified, but knew just how clever that plan was.

"No. The White Witch, Jadis, is gone. The Queen of the Wild Lands is her daughter, the Silver Witch," she said, and a fire lit behind the glass in her eyes, fueled by hate and fury.

"No," he breathed, rocking back on his heels. His hand dropped from her cheek and instantly the color drained from her skin. She was sure he hated her now, because she'd been groomed by his enemy in a plan to destroy him. He didn't see the fire get snuffed out in her eyes. He didn't see the glass fog up as tears welled back up in her eyes. He didn't see the glass crack as her heart threatened to break.

"I'll go back, Your Majesty. I'll end this. I'll leave, just please do not hate me," she begged him quietly, pulling her hands free of his. 

_He looked back to her face and saw the changes in the glass. He knew that his single word and his simple action had caused them. He realized that her heart was breaking, and he felt his own heart threaten to do the same. "No," he replied, his voice coming out cold and unforgiving. "You are not leaving. You and I are going to make a plan, and then we are going to ride to the Wild Lands. We will take the war to them," he continued. "If this Silver Witch thinks she can use you then she's wrong. You are mine, and you were always intended to be," he added, taking her hands once more. "Tell me the prophecy," he ordered her softly._

_She blinked in surprise and sighed. The coldness still held her, and his warmth was not melting it away this time. "You know the first part, Aslan's part, and you know your part, the second part. You just don't know my part, the third part," she told him quietly._

"_Teach me," he suggested._

_"When Eve's name and Eve's spirit stand at Cair Paravel beside throne, evil's daughter will be over and done," she breathed and as she spoke, her voice took on a tone Peter recognized well. Power and Old Magic rang through the words and the High King had the feeling it came from deep within her. He realized she belonged in Narnia as much as he did, and he realized that perhaps, besides Lucy, she was Aslan's dearest treasure. _

_She was his treasure now though. She was his guiding light, his star that shone above him. She didn't need to be a queen or noble or even truly anything other than exactly who she was. Exactly who she was, that was enough for him. That was all he needed. And as he thought this, he pulled her in and pressed his lips to hers. She was still ice as he kissed her, but he felt her melting as he held her. She kissed him back, had he kept his eyes open, he would have seen the golden color return to her skin._

_When they broke apart, he pulled her to her feet, and then leaned his forehead against hers. "I could never hate you, Evelyn. You are my treasure," he murmured, then kissed her again._

As he remembered, he saw her come around the corner, following Edmund and Lynn. He went straight to her, cupped her face in his hands as he had that day, and kissed her gently. They shared a look that needed no words. Peter saw the decisions she had made in her Lion-eyes, and the peace that breached even what she had locked away more than a thousand years ago. Evelyn saw the acceptance, and the peace that washed away the guilt that should have spanned a millennium. They smiled, and neither of them questioned the other. They didn't need to ask. They already knew the answers.


	28. Chapter 27

**Author's Note: I'm waving my creative license here a bit; I'm telling you quite a bit what happens in the future of my story universe, as well as apologizing for any incorrect quotes. My DVD is broken. Also, the song "The Door in the Air" from the Prince Caspian Soundtrack was essential to writing this chapter. I recommend to anyone to listen to it while reading this, or using the soundtrack to get yourself into the Narnia mind while writing your own story. Enjoy!**

Chapter 27

Lucy and Trumpkin met them in the main courtyard, and it took Lucy only one look to realize there was something on her eldest siblings' minds. But she didn't ask. She guessed correctly that Aslan had said something to them, so she didn't worry.

"Come, my children," Aslan urged them all. The three Kings, the two Queens, the Princess, and the Lady all followed Him. Trumpkin fell back with Glenstorm and Doctor Cornelius as they walked out of the castle. He noticed how all of the children were somehow touching. The Just had taken the Gentle's hand, who had slipped her other hand into the crook of the Restorer's arm. The Valiant had linked her arm through the Restorer's other arm, and she held the hand of the Magnificent on her other side. The Magnificent had the Vigilant tucked into his other side, his arm around her shoulder. The Vigilant held the hand of the one who would be named the Brave, the tiny girl glancing up at the Golden Monarchs shyly. **(1)(2)**

But when they stepped out behind the gathered Telmarines, most of the connections were dropped. Only the Golden King held onto the Shadow's hand as the gathered peoples parted before The Lion. Glenstorm, who would become Caspian's General, Trumpkin, who would take the Red Dwarf Council Chair, and Doctor Cornelius, who would be deemed the Royal Professor, took their places beside Trufflehunter, Reepicheep, and the Bugly Bear on the left side of the stage. Aslan stood before them, leaving Caspian to stand in the middle of the stage. Peter went to the right side of the platform, Evelyn taking her place to his far left, Edmund between them. **(3) **The Sister Queens took their places to the Brother Kings' right as the future Second Guardian moved to stand at the very corner of the stage.

"I gathered you here today to deliver a message both my own and from Aslan as well," Caspian started, effectively silencing the crowd. "Narnia belongs to the Narnians just as it does to man. Any who wish are welcome to stay and live in peace. But for any who wish it, Aslan will return you to the land of our forefathers," the King went on.

This brought mutterings to the Telmarines gathered in the crowd until one man spoke up. "It's been generations since we left Telmar," he said.

"We're not referring to Telmar. Your ancestors were sea-faring brigands, pirates, washed up on an island. It was there that they found a cave, a rare chasm, that brought them here from their world. The same world as our Kings and Queens," Aslan told them, turning to look at the Kings and Queens of Old as he spoke.

'That's why Caspian is allowed to be King. He's a Son of Adam,' Peter realized.

'That's why it was this Caspian, not any of the Kings before him. They had too much pirate in their blood. Then they became Telmarine. And there was too much Telmarine in their blood to become a true Narnian,' Evelyn finally understood why her wait had lasted thirteen hundred years and thirty reigns.

"It is to that island I will return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start," Aslan went on.

There was a shift in the crowd, and then Caspian's Aunt Prunasprisma stepped forward, cradling her baby in her arms. One of the Lords stepped forward with her, helping her up the stairs. **(4) **"We will go," she announced.

"Because you have spoken first, your life in this world shall be good," Aslan breathed on them gently, and Caspian saw his aunt's shoulders straighten proudly. Then The Lion turned to tree at the back of the platform. There was a strange sound like a voice and the tree began to turn. The trunk untwisted into two, forming a teardrop shaped gap, and shocked the crowd before it. Miraz's Queen walked forward slowly, and as she stepped through the gap, she vanished, taking the baby and the Lord with her.

Caspian had to take a pace to keep himself from falling over in shock, and Evelyn felt Peter's surprise too. But she was not surprised. Many things had ceased to surprise her anymore.

Horrified gasps passed through the Telmarines like a wave as people in the back who couldn't see were told what happened. Their ranks stirred uneasily, and a man called out, "How do we know he's not sending us to our deaths?"

"If it would please His High Majesty, I will take eleven Mice through with no delay," Reepicheep offered bravely. But instead of replying, Aslan turned to His Kings and Queens.

Peter, Susan, and Evelyn understood immediately. "We'll go," Peter said, stepping forward. Evelyn noticed that his hand was relaxed on the pommel of his beloved sword, and she knew he was okay with this.

"We will?" Edmund asked.

"Come on. Our time's up," Peter told his siblings. "After all, we're not really needed here anymore," he added, moving to stand in front of Caspian as he spoke. He withdrew his sword, in her sheath, from his belt, and held her out to Caspian with the ghost of a sad smile on his face.

Caspian took the sword in one hand, understanding just how much faith the High King was placing in him by giving him his sword. "I will look after it until you return," he vowed, meeting the High King's eyes squarely.

And then, in front of everyone, the High King kissed the King's brow, whispering, "My blessing, Caspian."

"I'm afraid that's just it. We're not coming back," the Gentle Queen told the King.

"We're not?" Lucy gasped.

"You two are. At least, I think He means you two," Peter told the youngest of his siblings, including Edmund in his response.

"Why? Have they done something wrong?" Lucy asked looking passed him to Aslan.

"Quite the opposite, dear one. But all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned all they can from this world. Now it's time for them to live in their own," The Lion explained.

"It's alright, Lu. It's not what I thought it would be, but it's alright. One day you'll see too," Peter assured his youngest sister.

"What about you? Are you coming back?" Edmund turned to Evelyn, his brown eyes wide with his brother's pain.

"No. It is long past my time to live in our world," the Princess told him and Caspian with a calm, yet sad smile. "Narnia no longer needs me. She has her true King now, and soon her new Guardian will take her place as the Queen with no Crown. Goldlight will see a new Princess on her throne," she went on, gesturing to Lynn. "She is here, a Narnian as true as I," Evelyn added.

There were mutters in the crowd at that, and Evelyn turned to look out over the crowd. "She is young, yes, but so too is your King. How better to learn than together?" she asked. "And they will never be alone. Aslan watches over all of us," she told them all. Then she turned to Caspian, and she shocked them all, but him most of all.

Evelyn had a rule during the Golden Age. She curtsied to foreign nobles and royalty, going deeper the higher the rank. Bowing was to Narnians. Her Gentle Queen and sometimes her Valiant Queen received full curtsies. Edmund and the rest of the time for Lucy got a full bow. Her special combination was only for her High King. And kneeling was reserved for her Highest King of Kings.

So when she bowed low to the new King, she broke her own rule in order to show the Telmarines hat she believed him worthy. He bowed back to her, holding the sword she had wielded in the worst of circumstances. "Never try to someone you're not," she suggested.

"How can I? If I try, I'm sure you and the High King will find a way back to set me straight," he murmured, smiling.

"Not me. My legacy," she laughed softly, and he bowed his head once more.

"She will be Kingsshield, won't she?" he asked.

"Perhaps," she stretched up and kissed his brow, murmuring, "My blessing, my King." Then she went to Glenstorm and was caught in a tight hug once they'd bowed to each other. She moved beside Peter as he bade farewell to the six Narnians on the stage, and she bowed slightly lower than he did to each of them. After all her years in Narnia, she knew them better than he did after just a couple weeks.

But her eyes were torn from Caspian and Susan when a small auburn and gold form collided with her, wrapping thin but strong arms around her waist. "Oh, Lynn, you'll be okay," Evelyn murmured.

"How can I be the Guardian? I don't know how?" the little girl whimpered into her shirt.

"Do you think I knew when I first became the High King's Guardian? It took me a long time to learn. I never stopped learning how to be better. Trust your training, Lynn. Trust Glenstorm to teach you. I watched him train. And he's a descendant of my beloved General Orieus," Evelyn told her. **(5)**

"Will I ever see you again?" the girl asked her blue eyes full of tears.

"Someday, my little one. Someday," the Guardian assured her, kissing her brow. "Goldlight holds many wonders for you. Her throne will be yours soon. And Moon is here to teach you what Glenstorm cannot," she finished. Lynn nodded and went to stand by Caspian. His free hand rested lightly on her shoulder, and Evelyn smiled sadly at them as she took her place beside Edmund.

They looked out over the crowd, and each one met His eyes before they turned to the tree.

'I will never forget to look,' Peter swore.

'I will learn to believe in you there,' Susan promised.

'I will be the one you always wanted me to be,' Evelyn vowed.

'I will keep my heart open,' Edmund declared.

'I will return when you call me,' Lucy assured Him.

Then they stepped through the Door in the Air.

**Author's Note: (1) Edmund-Susan-Caspian-Lucy-Peter-Evelyn-Lynn**

**(2) The Golden Monarchs=Peter & Evelyn**

**(3) I switched this from the movie. That particular detail bothered me.**

**(4) Glozelle stays. Caspian needs a friend who understands**

**(5) I don't know if that's true, but it makes sense.**


	29. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry it's taken so long to update. I had writer's block, way too much school, exams, and I'm prepping for a trip to the UK. Otherwise, I'd just like to say that I felt absolutely no obligation to post this chapter, because well, no one really seemed to like the story. I got way less positive feedback than I had hoped, and yet didn't get any suggestions or questions. I can't make it better if I don't know what's wrong. And on that note, I'm going to present the next chapter of After All.**

Chapter 28

She looked back, but all she could see was the students milling on the platform, jostling to get on or off the train. Taking a deep breath she gagged on the heavy stench of oil and smoke and metal. This was most definitely not her world, and she looked around for the ones who knew where that was. Choking back a sob as she then realized she was alone; she picked up her bags and hurried onto the train, somehow knowing she needed to take this train to get to school. 'Oh Aslan, please let me find him,' she pleaded silently, taking a seat in the far corner of the car.

Faintly, she heard someone call, "Aren't you coming, Phyllis?" but she didn't bother to look. There were four names she was waiting, seeking, to hear, and that certainly wasn't one of them. With a sigh, she lost herself in memories of another time she'd had no true memory, and fought tears down for a while.

Later, at the horrible prison called a school, she sought a small courtyard garden once she'd checked in and dropped her things off at her room. Removing her jacket, shoes, socks, and tie, she dropped them on a stone bench before climbing high into the welcoming branches of an old apple tree above it. This world was so very different, only a shell of what it had once been, and even though she knew the trees had life in them, they seemed so lifeless, so dead. There was something so painful in the simple action of touching the branches that she could feel her heart breaking into pieces. She had taken the life in Narnia for granted, and now, in this empty world, in this hollow world, she knew where something had faded away. She could feel it like a loss of her own soul in this shadow of a world that she had not touched in nearly fourteen hundred years. Tears dripped from her cheeks, falling like glitter to the grass below the tree, though the Lost Princess never noticed.

The Lady of Goldlight cried until she could cry no more, longing all the while for the pair of strong arms that had always held her as if their owner could shield her from her pain. The Princess of the Far North prayed for the music in the wind and the voices in the streams and the songs in the trees. The Guardian wished for the weight of her sword on her hip and daggers hidden. The Vigilant Princess ached for the people she had lost so long ago and smiled for those she knew to be in good hands. The Princess of Old needed for her memories to return to keep her going when she couldn't go back. The Queen with no Crown pleaded for her unborn child to see the sun one day.

But most of all, Evelyn cried for the world. She cried for the loss, for the fading, for the hollowness. She cried for the emptiness and the faithlessness, the magicless-ness and the blindness. She cried for the darkness, for the dullness, for the lifelessness.

She cried as she had never cried, the pain reaching deep into her heart. There was no one to comfort her, no one to ease her pain, no one to hold her as she cried, but she only cried for a little while.

Eventually, the Honorable Princess raised her head, drying her tears away. The Lady of the North dropped easily from the tree, determined now to throw herself into this training as she had with Orieus. The Last Princess was driven now to dive into her studies. The Kingsshield was intent now on retaining her knowledge from Narnia, never losing touch with the person she had been there.

'_You are seventeen, but that doesn't mean you have to act like a child. But no one can know of Narnia. You are of Narnia, and once of Narnia, always of Narnia,'_ she promised herself, lifting her chin as she gathered her things and replaced them on herself.

Evelyn was careful, trying not to let her experience show, but it was hard. Narnia was engraved deep within her. Her marks stayed higher than ever, and she didn't quite know it, but all her teachers thought she was exceptionally gifted. There were no girls like her, so well rounded in arithmetic and physics and dancing and music and history and Latin and everything else the school could throw at her. She loved the horsewoman-ship lessons, but when asked how she rode well, she simply supplied that she'd ridden in the country. Girls loved to listen to her sing and watch her dance, things she didn't do for them often. She managed to get a hold of a weighted wooden sword one free weekend and often strayed out into her quiet corner courtyard garden to practice.

And just as in Narnia, her flaws were apparent too, but no one teased her for her lack of embroidery skill or her fear of needles. No one laughed at her for her odd birthmarks or her stage freight. No one whispered about her fear of snakes or her lack of gossiping habits. No, the girls learned early on that if you were kind to Evelyn, she was quick to stand up for you. They all learned how she valued honesty and loyalty. It was easy for them to see how she could get the better of you with just a simple word or a look. None of them knew why, but every girl in their grade saw her as the girl you loved to be friends with and the girl you never wanted to be enemies with. They could all feel her quiet leadership, and that year, their class amazed all their teachers and instructors.

"It's all that McGold girl. She's such a role model to them. Even with her oddness," one teacher remarked once.

"Of course it's her. It' her oddness that makes it her," another retorted.

"What do you think taught her to be that way?" a third asked.

"I've heard all four of her brothers and her father are serving on the Continent. Maybe that's why," one told the others.

"Perhaps. Have you seen her drawings? She's always drawing these landscapes and these beautiful creatures. When I asked her one, she said the landscapes were out in the country, and the creatures were only part of a story," another sighed.

"What about her poetry? She writes about these two Kings and two Queens and I feel like I can see them. She's so good at capturing them in her writing, it's like she knew them personally."

"Have you ever watched her dance? She and a younger girl, Susan Pevensie I think, do these remarkable dances, and they always say they learned them in the country. I have never seen, let alone learned, these versions of the dances they do."

"Susan is odd too. She and her sister, Lucy. All three of them carry this seriousness, like they've already been adults. They aren't normal children."

Unknown to Evelyn as she carried on as only could, all these things and more were said through the first semester. But she never really cared. She held her head high and stayed strong until one day she was summoned inside to the dining hall with the other girls. She took her familiar seat beside Lucy, across from Susan, grateful as always that not only had they saved her seat but had found her those weeks ago in all her loneliness. "Ladies, please," Headmistress called for their attention as Lucy took Evelyn's stiff hand.

"As you know, Holiday Break is only three weeks away. On the eve of the recess, as is tradition, we will be hosting the boys of Hendon House for the Christmas Ball. I expect that as the hostesses, you will welcome them all, and perhaps even perform for them. I will be posting a list during tomorrow's tea for signups for you ladies to volunteer to perform. It will stay up for the next two weeks. After that, I will post my choices. Everyone is expected to attend unless a specified reason is given to me in person. Dismissed," Headmistress told them.

"Christmas is only three weeks away?" Evelyn breathed.

"Ev, are you alright?" Lucy took in her friend's pale face and wide eyes and glanced at Susan.

"I, I think so, Your Majesty," the blonde murmured. "I haven't been to my house in so long, Lu. I haven't seen my brothers since they went off to the war," she added.

"And that was before Narnia, wasn't it?" the Gentle Queen asked, reaching over to take Evelyn's other hand.

The Princess nodded, and then took a deep breath. She glanced down at her arm and Lucy saw a flicker of dread in her eyes. But when Evelyn tightened the muscles in her arm subconsciously, the Valiant Queen knew it was a flicker of emotion not her own. "They're alright, Ev, you know that," the youngest Queen whispered.

"Do they, Your Majesty?" the Guardian replied, smiling softly.

"Come then, we're in need of dresses I think," the Gentle Queen, ever the one in charge of their fashion, stood, lifting Evelyn's hand as she did. The two other girls got to their feet as Susan released Evelyn, and they smiled at each other, walking with proud heads aloft as they left the hall.

The girls and their teachers could almost see the crowns perched atop their heads and the flowing gowns trailing on the floor. For a moment, all of them bowed ever so slightly forward, not enough so that they noticed that their neighbor had done so, but enough to make them straighten once more to go about their own business.

The Gentle Queen and the Valiant Queen walked on either side of the Vigilant Princess, and somewhere in the wind they heard the softest of roars. But for the rest of the day, the three of them could be seen with the brightest of smiles on their faces.

**Author's Note: Hey guys, so you read, now please review. **** I really want to know if anyone thinks I should finish this. I don't want to waste my time writing, typing, and publishing it if no one is going to tell me what they think. Happy summer!**


	30. Chapter 29

**Author's Note: So, I leave for the UK on the 10****th****, and I figured I'd finish the story before I leave. I hope you guys like it. Anyone want an epilogue? Please read and review!**

Chapter 29

"Do you think there's any way we can get back? I left my new torch in Narnia," Edmund told them, making them all laugh in relief. All of the felt the weight of leaving once more, though Peter felt it heaviest of all. He was not going back, and Evelyn had vanished. He could feel her absence profoundly, and he subconsciously rubbed his ring finger, twisting a ring that once rested there. He glanced around the car, his eyes sweeping over the occupants of the seats until he found four seats. He completely missed the golden haired girl trying not cry in the corner as he led his siblings to the other end of the car.

At Hendon House, he and Edmund were forced to hug their sisters tightly to their chests and then walk away, ignoring the strange looks from the other lads and the instinct telling them never to leave their perfectly capable sisters alone. The lads would understand soon enough, and they'd never learned even as adults that their sisters were perfectly capable. That was just how the Kings were, overly protective of their Queens.

Peter glanced once or twice a day to the North throughout the semester, searching for the signs of life he knew he wouldn't find here in this world. There was stillness, emptiness to the air here that he had never liked in the past year. That single year had been so hard, having to hide their true selves and pretend to be just children again. For him, it was hardest of all, because he had spent so much time as an adult and the least amount of time as a child in Narnia. But he found that as long as he had Edmund to confess and reminisce with, he would be fine.

But he wondered everyday when he was going to find her, when the ache in his chest would truly go away. He questioned how she was faring, changing worlds after so long in one, with no one to guide her. He wanted so badly to wrap his arms around her and hold her close, the way he would whenever he felt like it when they were married. He had tried to keep his emotions in check, controlled, so she didn't have them to deal with on top of her own in an already stressful time. He honestly couldn't even begin to imagine what she was going through, though he'd gone through it on a much smaller scale, and had his siblings. '_Why is it always her to face the worst of the challenges?' _he asked himself one night, when he sat beneath an apple tree in the corner of the central courtyard.

Peter, the High King, gave the still talking boy one look, and he shut his mouth mid-word, ducking his head in shame. No one wanted to get on the bad side of the golden boy or even his darker brother. No one could stand disappointing them, so they all did their best to not. It was too easy to fall in behind those boys and do what they asked. They always asked, never ordered, asked. Teachers too, found themselves with soaring levels of respect for the two brothers, even when they noticed the strange difference.

The two were odd, that much was clear. They spoke like adults, and carried themselves as if they'd already surpassed their awkward stages and bloomed into their confidence. They didn't fight or argue, they discussed and debated and reasoned, one more calmly than the other in most cases. They were wise, and seemed weighted, as if they'd seen things, and each of them lead the boys of their school in their own way. Peter was the encourager; he always had a kind word when a lad needed it. Edmund was the pusher; he didn't wait for the lads to catch up, he just went on ahead and let them follow.

Both boys held marks that never slipped, and as hard as the other lads tried, none could soar quite so high. They led the fencing club, and the rugby team, and played cricket on sunny days before tea, and well as one might think to know them, they always held their secrets. It was rare to glimpse Edmund's careful art or hear Peter's melodic songs, and when the school did, everyone paid attention.

So now, as Peter's sky blue eyes turned to the Headmaster, even he felt as though he could not start without some kind of permission from the golden haired one sitting tall and proud. Peter nodded, and the Headmaster began, "Lads, as I'm sure you are aware, Christmas is only three weeks away. Just as tradition holds, the girls across the road will be hosting the end of semester Christmas Ball the eve of our departure. I expect each and every one of you to attend, and you will be required to wear a suit. I highly recommend finding a young lady to accompany as well." He nodded, and finished, "Dismissed!"

Peter and Edmund stared at each other in horror. Not only did they have to wear a suit, but they had to find a date. And the Headmaster had practically invited the boys to swarm all over Susan and her friends. "Write to them. Tell Su not to accept from anyone," Edmund recommended, trying not to laugh at his brother's face.

"Then you must take Lu," Peter replied, squishing his dread with an unrelated idea.

"I know that look," Edmund realized, leaning back warily.

"Feel like sparring? We've nothing to do before dinner," the elder King said. Edmund raised an eyebrow, and then nodded. Behind them, a boy cleared his throat, and the Kings looked around. All their classmates sat patiently, waiting for the dismissal from Peter. "Dismissed," he told them, getting to his feet. Edmund followed as the blonde went in search of their weighted wooden swords. Though both had a rapier to use, neither was feeling like using the light weapon. They wanted, craved, the weapon of kings.

Out in the courtyard, they shed clothes until they stood only in trousers and plain white undershirts. They wore not even shoes. They didn't know, but as they bowed to each other, a crowd gathered to watch, curious and silent. Then the boys were so lost in their match that they couldn't have noticed.

**Author's note: Sorry it's so short, I had a hard time with this chapter. You've read, now please review! **


	31. Chapter 30

**Author's note: Good Aslan, is this really 30? Songwriter16-there will be more stories, both in the Golden Age and in England. Perhaps, my lady permitting, there will be an epilogue to follow. So, for this chapter, I recommend checking out the song by Celtic Woman: Carol of the Bells. You'll understand. **** You know the drill, read and review, and do not make me call Orieus.**

Chapter 30

On the night of the Christmas Ball, each boy at Hendon House was pulling on a suit coat and figuring out how to correctly knot his tie before they slipped into their coats and double checked their pocket for the Christmas gift they were bringing their date. They were rather nervously checking their hair and shifting on their feet in the foyer, each trying to brag about having the prettiest date. That was, until the Pevensie brothers swept in. The boys snapped to attention, a silent signal running through them to line up. Peter started on one end, fair and gold in a dark blue suit, checking ties and hair and shirts. Edmund started on the other, dark and pale in a light gray suit, overlooking shoes and belts and pants.

"Smile, lads! Tomorrow we head home!" Peter called over the assembly when they were done. The boys couldn't help but grin back. "And let's enjoy ourselves tonight!" he added, turning to face the grand doors. Beside him, Edmund took his rightful place as the boys slipped into two neat columns behind them. The Headmaster took his place at the front of the group, and the teachers brought up the rear as they set out across the road in the moonlit fallen snow.

Last minute panics were sweeping across the girls at the same time, each checking her dress and shoes. Nervous shaking hands smoothed their hair and applied last minute make up fixes. Some ran back and forth, checking that their neatly wrapped present waited their date at his seat on the blue and silver table settings. Then the Pevensie sisters swept in. The girls stepped gracefully into a line, taking a deep breath as they did. Susan slipped over to one end, dark and willowy in a purple gown, checking makeup and hair and jewelry. Lucy danced to the other end, light and springy in a red gown, straightening dresses and shoes and smiles.

"Oh, girls, smile! This is what we've been preparing for these last three weeks! This is our castle, and we are going to be Queens tonight!" Susan called gently. The girls nodded and then lifted their heads.

"Smile! It's Christmas!" Lucy called, making them giggle and smile and dance in place. Headmistress took her place in the center of the decorated foyer, Susan and Lucy on either side, as the girls floated into places behind them.

The girls were waiting, holding the doors open wide, when the boys trooped up the immaculate walkway. The soft sighs of the gowns on the floor was such a familiar sound for the four Pevensies that everyone saw them relaxing, though they seemed even more noble and regal than ever. To no one's true surprise, after the Headmaster and Headmistress exchanged greetings and their gifts, the Pevensie brothers presented themselves to their sisters, bowing perfectly.

"Your Majesties," they chorused to each other as the girls curtsied back. The other students took that as their cue to step forward. "Peter, we've a surprise for you," the girls giggled, taking their brothers' arms and leading them to their seats. There were five seats at their silver and blue table, and the Kings looked at each other.

"Oh?" he replied, raising a golden eyebrow.

Around them, the others had taken their seats, and the Headmistress took to the stage. "Welcome, everyone, to the Christmas Ball. This year we're going to start off with a performance from a remarkable young lady. Miss McGold?" she told them.

"Please, Headmistress, give the girls some credit for their right due pieces," a soft voice called. All the boys craned to see the stage, but they couldn't see anyone.

The band began to play, and the girls on the left side of the room started with "Ding," as the girls on the right followed quickly with "Dong." This went on for a few seconds before the violin player, a slight brunette woman, let her notes glide through the room. The girls rejoined her as the band played on, and the boys could feel the Christmas magic growing.

"Hark how the bells, sweet, silver bells, all seem to say, throw cares away; Christmas is here, bringing good cheer to young and old, meek and the bold. Ding, dong, ding, dong, that is their song with joyful ring, all caroling, one seems to hear words of good cheer from everywhere, filling the air," the sweet, haunting voice once again made the boys look to the stage, and this time they saw the girl in the gold gown. She stepped up onto the stage as she sang, all the while the girls softly dinging and donging.

'_She's beautiful,' _Peter realized, watching her. '_And her voice sounds so familiar.'_

The girl let the violin play, then moved out into full sight. She swayed and danced on the stage, beckoning to Lucy. Once the Queen had joined her, they clasped hands and went on, "Oh, how they pound, raising the sound, O'er hill and dale, telling their tale, gaily they ring while people sing songs of good cheer. Christmas is here. Merry, merry, merry Christmas. Merry, merry, merry Christmas."

The girls chorused underneath her the whole time, until the last Christmas, and then the violin played alone. The girls danced on stage, beckoning the elder Queen to join them. Susan smiled and ran up, her feet soft and quiet on the floor, and the girls danced, round and round until they stopped and sang, "Hark how the bells, sweet, silver bells, all seem to say throw cares away, Christmas is here, bringing good cheer to young and old meek and the bold, Ding, dong, ding, dong, that is their song, with joyful ring, all caroling words of good cheer from everywhere, filling the air."

Then the Queens stopped and the golden haired girl sang, "Merry, merry, merry Christmas." She curtsied to the Queens, spreading her arms wide.

"Merry, merry, merry Christmas," the Queens sang back, shadowing her.

Then, just as they'd planned, all the girls sang with them, "On, on they sing, on without end, their joyful tone to every home." Peter realized how perfectly they'd planned this; Lucy's high voice and Susan's lower one perfectly balanced the other girl's voice.

Then the girls dropped back to ding and dong and the ones on stage grew louder, singing, "Christmas is here, bringing good cheer, to young and old, meek and the bold, ding, dong, ding, dong, that is their song with joyful ring…" At the very end, the girls lifted their arms up, their palms up, so that they almost seemed to lift the ceiling up.

Everyone erupted into cheers as the Queens hugged the girl and lead her down off stage after they all curtsied. The Queens made to rejoin the Kings, leading the golden girl with them, and Peter stood to help Susan sit once more. Edmund did the same for Lucy then retook his seat as Peter went to help the mystery girl. As she sat, she said, "Thank you, Your Majesty," and looked up.

Peter was met with a pair of bright gold lion eyes, and suddenly, the ache in his chest vanished. He took a deep breath and leaned down to quickly kiss her lips before he straightened and murmured, "You are most welcome, my lady."


	32. Epilogue

**Author's Note: I had to **** It's just too big an opportunity. Thanks to everyone who read! I promise there will be more stories; I'm just not sure when yet. But for now, enjoy.**

Epilogue

He found himself looking up to the storm clouds gathering in the North and the South, and had it been any other time, he would have been terribly confused. But he saw how the Southern Sun still shone, and he could still see the Northern Sky, and he knew. Narnia was mourning the loss of her High King and Gentle Queen. It was the same way the lands in the North seemed encroached in shadow; the Princess of Shadow was too gone.

"My King, are you alright?" the soft voice sounded behind him, making him turn on his balcony to see her small form in the doorway.

"I am, my lady. It's alright, you may join me," he replied, and she moved to stand beside him with naught a sound.

"You have seen the skies then," she smiled up at him, and he nodded. He watched her play with the delicate looking signet ring on her hand and he touched his own reverently.

"Come, my lady, we have much to do if we're going to get these Councils sorted before Christmas," he realized.

"That's why I came. I was not going into the Chamber of the Lords without you," she told him, meeting his dark eyes.

"You are aware that they won't hurt you, yes?" he asked, draping his arm around his little sister's shoulders.

"Oh, yes. I am more concerned with hurting them because I can't understand their stubbornness," she replied, grinning up at her older brother.

"Oh, my lady," he laughed, and she giggled too. She liked making him smile. There was comfort knowing she could, and that he was still light-hearted enough to smile and laugh.

"Come, King Caspian," she teased, "Let us not be late again."

"As you wish, Princess Lynn," he replied, "Though I don't see why we can't wait and make them squirm. I am their King after all," he added, grinning deviously down at her. She let out a peal of laughter, and let him swing her up onto his back. They took off, running through their castle, laughing and waving as they passed servants and many others. Everyone smiled to see their King acting the best big brother he could be towards their Princess, and many turned to look to the storms. But where the night sky had been, the dawn was shining through.

**Author's Note: And done. Farewell everyone! Thanks for reading! **


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